The aOCu
by Azrael38
Summary: The alternate Orange County universe. Re-imagining an arrival to Newport Beach and, along with that, the entire series as we knew it.
1. The Welcome

A/N: New AU. New story. New chapter. Full A/N at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Sandy Cohen walked into the visiting area of the jail, waiting for his current client to emerge. He hated this part of his job. He hated that everyone in the public defenders office always looked to him to take these cases. Not that he minded representing minors involved in felony cases. In fact, he actually relished helping these kids when no one else would. It was just that it made him so depressed when he saw what the justice system wanted to do to some of these kids.

Sandy picked up the case file for today and did another brief run through. The kid was from Corona, picked up for possession with intent to distribute. They wanted to charge him with felony possession, saying that he had over an ounce but the evidence was supposedly "missing" and there were no witness reports as to the amount. He was about to go through the kid's report further when the buzzer sounded, indicating his client was coming in.

"Sandy Cohen, I'll be your…" Sandy was struck dumb. Looking at his client was like looking into a mirror, albeit a mirror that could see into the past. This kid was like a teenage version of himself. He recovered and continued on. "You must be Seth?"

"Yeah, Seth Siefman. So you're my public defender? Nice eyebrows by the way. So what's up? You gonna take care of these charges?"

"Well since it looks like this is your first charge, I'm sure we can plead this down to a misdemeanor. You're looking at a petty fine and probation but that's going to be it."

"Great man, thanks," Seth said.

"So what's with the weed, kid? It says here in your file that you scored off the charts on your P-SAT's and you're grades are exceptional. Problems with tardiness and an apparent disregard for authority figures are a little worrisome, but you could easily turn these grades and test scores into a scholarship to college. You just have to keep your nose clean."

"Yeah because my mom is so supportive of me attending school. Do you know how many schools I've attended over the years?" At a shake of Sandy's head, he continues. "Eight. In nine years. I've been going to Buena Vista for a record eight months, although it looks like my time there is up."

"What are you talking about? You're mom can't pull you out of school for getting arrested."

"Never mind," Seth says with a shake of his head. "I've already told you too much about my family. So can you get me out of here or not?"

"Yeah, I've already posted bail. You'll be out as soon as they've processed your paperwork."

_Outside_

"I thought you said my mom was supposed to come pick me up? We've been waiting here for an hour."

"The police department notified her last night that you had been arrested and my office confirmed this morning that she would be here when you were released from custody. Let me try her again."

"What a great way to start the weekend," Seth says, sitting down on the curb.

Sandy tries Seth's mother again at their home of record. All he gets is a busy tone.

"Come on kid. I'll drop you off."

* * *

"So I know I was kind of a smart-ass earlier, but I just wanted to say thanks. For everything."

"I'm gonna make sure everything works out Seth. I'll call to remind you of your hearing date."

"Oh I won't forget." Seth steps out of the BMW and grabs his skateboard and backpack from Sandy. "It's ok, I can take it from here." Seth walks to his door and, using the key his mother so conveniently left under the doormat, lets himself in. He is immediately greeted with the sight of an empty house. "What the hell? Where's all of our stuff? Mom? Mom!" Seth moves from room to room, but every one presents the same scene. No furniture, no possessions, and no mother. He sees a single sheet of paper lying on the counter. He wanders over, picks it up, and begins to read.

_Sweetie-_

_I'm sorry, I really am. You had to go and get busted, even though you knew what our situation was and that we couldn't afford any undue attention. I got a call from the cops telling me you were being arrested and that they wanted to send someone over to get some information from me. Information! I couldn't wait. Your things are still in your room in case you want to keep any of it. I'm sorry I had to leave you this time sweetheart, but at least you won't have to move anymore._

_Mom_

"She's gone. My mom left me," Seth wails, falling down on the carpet with his head in his hands.

Sandy walks over and places his hand on Seth's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go."

* * *

Sandy pulls into the driveway of his home in Newport Beach. He places his vehicle in park and turns to Seth. "Maybe you might want to wait here. I haven't really told the missus yet."

"I'll be fine, go ahead."

Sandy leaves the car on so that Seth can listen to the radio and heads inside to try and convince his beloved wife to let this kid stay with them for the weekend.

"Kirsten," he yells as he enters the house. "I need to talk to you. Where are you?"

"In the kitchen Sandy," she replies.

He walks into the kitchen to see her rummaging through the drawer containing all of the take-out menus. "Oh, thank God. I thought you might have been attempting to cook."

"Very funny. I was actually looking through the menus. What do you think about Thai for dinner?"

"That sounds good," Sandy says, trying to figure out a good way to bring this up. Fortunately, his wife provides an opening.

"So how was your day in Riverside? Are you going to keep that kid out of jail?"

"Actually, honey, I'm glad that you asked. You see…"

_Outside_

Seth gets tired of waiting for Sandy to come back and heads down to the end of the driveway. It's a good thing his mom never knew where he kept his stash or she'd have taken it with her and he'd be SOL. He opens the Altoids tin that he keeps his pre-rolled joints in and brings out a small joint that he immediately lights.

"Are you smoking weed," asks a feminine voice from close by.

Seth looks up and sees what can only be described as an angel looking at him. The raven haired beauty has her hand on her hip, her purse slung over her shoulder, and is currently sporting an expression on her face that can probably be translated as 'I asked you a question, jackass!'

"Actually, this is just oregano," Seth says with a slight smile.

"Whatever. Who are you anyway, and what are you doing in front of the Cohen's driveway?"

"I'm Sandy Cohen's illegitimate love child, Seth. He found me and decided to bring me home to his wife."

Summer smiles at him. "Yeah right. Mr. C would never cheat on his wife. They're, like, in love. But that was kind of funny." Summer watches him take a hit from the joint. "So are you going to offer me any?"

Seth looks down at the joint and begins to hand it to Summer. Before the transaction can be completed, Seth hears Sandy calling for him up on the driveway. "Shit," Seth curses and puts out the remainder of the joint on the street, just as Sandy comes up to them.

"Hey Summer! You here to visit Marissa?"

"Sure am, Mr. C. We're having a sleep over here and I'm sure that I'm the last one here because Taylor is early everywhere she goes."

"Well I'm sure the boys are jealous," Sandy says with a sly grin. "So will we be seeing you at Marissa's fashion show tomorrow?"

"You better believe it." Summer looks over at Seth. "Maybe I'll see you there, too."

"Maybe you will. See you later."

Summer walks down the Cooper driveway and Seth and Sandy turn to go back toward the Cohen residence.

"Oh, and Seth? There's no smoking in this house. Of any kind."

Sandy walks Seth up through the house, bringing him to the pool house, where Kirsten is putting sheets on the bed.

"So this is where you'll be staying and this is the queen of the manor herself, my wife Kirsten."

Kirsten smiles at Seth. "Welcome to our home. There are fresh sheets on the bed. We'll let you get some rest and we'll see you in the morning." Sandy and Kirsten file out of the pool house, leaving Seth alone in a very unfamiliar environment.

"I could get used to this."

* * *

Seth wakes up the next morning, confused at first about where he is. He gradually remembers the events of the previous day; being in jail, meeting Mr. Cohen, his mother leaving him, and being taken in for the weekend by the Cohens. He wanders out of the pool house and into the main house, looking for breakfast.

"Hey."

He's greeted by a young blonde boy, approximately the same age as himself, standing at the breakfast counter, eating dry cereal from the box.

"Hey," Seth replies.

"Coffee's brewing right now," the blonde boy offers.

"Read my mind. I'm Seth by the way. Your dad is letting me crash here for a couple days. Family stuff. You know the drill."

"Ryan," the other teen simply answers.

"Right. So do you guys have any-"

"Bagels are in the pantry, slicer is on the counter, cream cheese is in the fridge."

"Okaaaay. Strange, yet convenient. How did you know that was what I wanted?"

"You just seem like a bagel person. Like Dad," Ryan answers.

Sandy enters the kitchen.

"Hey guys. Seth, I see you've met my son Ryan."

"Yeah, we bonded over waiting for coffee and him reading my mind."

Sandy looks over at Ryan, who just shrugs. "Well…great. Hey Ryan, why don't you take Seth out to the beach or something? Get out of the house, it's a beautiful day."

Ryan turns to Seth. "What do you want to do?"

"Well, what _is_ there to do around here?"

* * *

"It's alright man. Not everybody has the coordination to surf," Ryan says, trying to console Seth on his inability to surf. "At least you provided some entertainment out there."

"Thanks for the comforting words. I think I'm bruising," Seth mumbles as he tries to rub out a muscle that is cramping. "Such are the perils of being born inland, I guess. Never really got into the whole surfing fad. I'm not completely helpless in the water though. My mom paid for sailing lessons one summer and I still try to get out there every now and then."

"Sailing, huh? My grandpa likes to sail too. Dad, however, really isn't that big of a fan of boats."

"Yeah, I think that, sometime in the past, my Jewish ancestors bred with pirates. It would explain my ability to captain a vessel and pull off the eye patch look. Speaking of pirates, did you hear about the new pirate movie at the IMAX? It's rated 'Arrrrgh'. Seriously though, we should go see it."

Ryan looks at him strangely. "Dude, you talk way too much."

"I get that a lot. So what's next on the agenda?"

Ryan peeks at his watch. "We've got to get back to the house to get ready for the fashion show." He gives Seth a curious look. "I don't suppose you brought a suit?"

"A jumpsuit, maybe," Seth says, laughing. "Seriously? No. I'm suitless."

"You and Dad are probably close in size. I'm sure he can loan you one of his."

* * *

Sandy has set Seth up with a suit and, as Ryan suspected, it fits him perfectly. Placing the straight black piece of cloth around the collar, he quickly ties a perfect half-Windsor knot. Sandy walks in and, noticing the tie, pats him on the back.

"I couldn't tie a tie until I was 25. I'm impressed!" Sandy turns him around and buttons the top button on his shirt. He pulls the tie up towards the top of his collar and Seth makes an exaggerated choking noise, which forces Sandy to chuckle.

"So I know this isn't the greatest time for this kiddo, but what do you know about your dad?"

Seth straightens his tie up a bit. "Almost nothing. Mom never really talks about him. She won't even tell me his name. All I know is that he left Mom before I was born."

"Maybe I can check out the birth certificate for you. That would be a good place to start."

"Already tried that avenue. I checked it out a few years ago. Mom left his name off of the birth certificate."

"Well what about you're last name? Siefman can't be that popular of a last name."

"Actually-"

Ryan walks in and interrupts Seth, telling Sandy and Seth that Kirsten is ready to leave.

Sandy turns back to Seth. "You ready to meet the Newpsies?"

"Newpsies?"

* * *

The three Cohens, along with Seth, arrive at the pre-fashion show party. Ryan grabs Seth arm, telling his parents that they're going to go find Luke. It doesn't take them too long to track down the boy.

"Cohen! What up man," Luke yells, walking up to his friend. They shake and share a one-armed hug.

"Nothing. Hey I want you to meet a friend of mine. This is Seth," Ryan says, pointing towards the skinnier, brown-haired boy. "He's from Corona, but he's going to be staying with us for the weekend."

Luke shakes Seth's hand and brings him in for a one-armed hug as well. "Nice to meet you, bro. Any friend of Cohen's is a friend of mine."

"Alright, cool. Nice to meet you too."

"So where are the girls at," Ryan asks Luke.

"They ran off a few minutes ago to get ready for the show. You just missed 'em."

"Damn. I was kind of looking forward to a little private time with Taylor," Ryan says as he stuffs his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, me too." At Ryan's glare, he clarifies. "You know I meant with Marissa dude. Besides, that girl only has eyes for you anyway."

"Who is Taylor?"

"Oh, that's Cohen here's elementary school sweetheart," Luke answers.

Ryan glares at him again.

"Alright, I'll stop," Luke laughs. "Between you and your mom, you two have that glare down to a science. You don't even have to say anything. Come on, let's go find a table."

They head in the direction of the tables, only to be stopped when a voice yells their names.

"Cohen! Ward!"

Ryan and Luke both turn around. There stands Zach Stevens, captain of the water polo team and all around jerk, along with two of his hangers-on, Chip Saunders and Doug Nordlund.

"What's up Zach," Ryan asks.

Seth, thinking this is another cool friend of Ryan's, holds out his hand with a smile. "Hey, what's up man? I'm Seth."

Zach smiles back at him. "Hey! Suck it, queer." Seth shrinks back behind Luke and Zach resumes talking to Ryan. "So, I hope you two douche bags are ready for Water Polo Camp week after next. Just because you guys were on the team last year doesn't mean you're guaranteed a spot on the squad this year. I mean, I know I'm the captain and we're friends, but I've got to be impartial."

Luke speaks up. "Come on man! Cohen and I got plans to head with the fam up to Big Sur that week. We know you got connections with Coach. Can't you get us out of it?"

"Sorry guys," Zach says with a smile on his face. "Rules are rules. Also, I'm really going to insist on you quitting soccer. We can't have you guys getting injured or have your performance in the pool suffer from being worn out on the field. Now that we're done with all of that unpleasantness, let's go watch out girls strut their stuff." He heads off toward the tables, followed closely by Chip and Doug.

"Sometimes, I really hate that guy."

Ryan shakes his head. "I know. I have no idea what Summer sees in that idiot."

"Wait," Seth starts, "do you mean a short girl, brown hair, exotic eyes, friends with your neighbor?"

Luke and Ryan share a confused look. "How do you know Summer," Ryan asks.

"I met her last night. She was going into your neighbor's house when your dad brought me over. I can't believe she's dating that…Neanderthal."

"Yeah, well don't let Zach hear that you talked to Summer," Luke says.

"Or that you called him a Neanderthal," Ryan finishes. "Even though he is. He's a real dick and extremely jealous."

"Sounds like he's compensating for something," Seth says, smiling.

Ryan laughs. He looks over at Luke, who just looks confused. "I'll explain later. Let's go."

The three boys find an empty table, right next to catwalk. They sit down just in time for Marissa to come out and introduce the show.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all so much for coming. Every year, we put on a fashion show to raise money for the battered women shelter. It's such a good cause, you guys, and we couldn't do any of it without your support and the support of Fashion Island and all their great stores. All right, enjoy the show," she says, to enormous applause, most of it coming from Luke.

"That would be Luke's girlfriend, Marissa," Ryan offers.

"I figured as much, with the whistling and catcalling."

Marissa walks back towards the changing room and greets the first girl, an auburn haired girl. Ryan begins whistling and catcalling, mirroring Luke's reaction.

"I'm thinking that's Taylor," Seth guesses.

"Yep." Luke imitates a bad Australian accent. "Notice Cohen's enchanted state, his focus entirely on his prey. He barely notices our presence. Oof," he finishes as Ryan punches him in the solar plexus.

"I _can_ hear you, even if I am focused on Taylor."

Next out is Summer, who stops at the end of the runway and poses. She sees Seth sitting with Ryan and Luke and smiles at him, an action that doesn't go unnoticed by Zach.

Zach turns to Chip and Doug. "Find out who the _faggot_ sitting with Cohen and Ward is. I want to know who the hell he thinks he is, macking on my girl."

* * *

Taylor runs up and jumps into Ryan's arms, giving him a kiss. She's closely followed by Marissa, who settles for hugging Luke and kissing him on the cheek.

"Who is that," asks Taylor, looking at Seth.

"That's Cohen's friend. Yo Corona," Luke yells, getting Seth's attention.

Seth walks over and shakes Taylor and Marissa's hands. "My name is actually Seth, but apparently, Luke here insists on calling people by either their last name or where they're from. With me, it's the latter."

"Well, you are welcome to join us over at our friend Holly's beach house for a little after party. Her parents are letting us borrow the place as thanks for all our hard work for charity," Marissa says as she laughs.

"That reminds me. Can we get a ride over there," Ryan asks Luke. "My folks drove us out here."

"No prob. I've got more than enough room for you and _Seth_ and the girls. Let's roll."

Seth looks back and sees Summer getting into Zach's SUV. "'Let's roll' indeed."

* * *

Luke, Marissa, Ryan, Taylor, and Seth are standing around the kitchen island, drinking. Seth is relating his harrowing tale of escape from the evil rent-a-cops at the mall, including his eventual capture by, according to his count, 15 mall cops.

"So you mean to tell me," Luke asks, "that you got busted for possession because the rent-a-cops busted you skateboarding around the mall? That's just tough luck man."

"The worst part was that they confiscated my stash. It was probably about 150 bucks worth of pot," Seth says.

Zach looks over and sees Seth joking around with everyone. He starts to get pissed off and turns to Chip and Doug.

"What did you idiots find out about him?"

"Not much," Doug says. "Just that he's staying with the Cohens and he's got some legal thing going on."

"Anything good," Zach asks.

"Possession. He was in juvie for a day or so earlier this week but Mr. Cohen got him out."

Zach looks back over and sees Summer staring at Seth across the party. "Fuck this shit." He walks over to Summer, grabs her by the arm, and drags her outside, much to the dismay of everyone.

"What a douche bag," Luke says. "You think he was serious when he said we might have to quit soccer? I'm the captain and there's no way I'm quitting."

"I doubt it. He was probably just trying to be a dick," Ryan suggests.

Taylor and Marissa both voice their displeasure at the idea of their boyfriends quitting the soccer team.

"I love you in a Speedo, dear, but I'd rather see you sweating on the field. It's so much hotter," Taylor says as she fans herself.

"I can't even tell what's going on in the pool," complains Marissa. "It's easier to follow the action in soccer."

Seth raises his hand. "Uhm, idea here? Why don't you just quit if you hate Zach so much and you like soccer better?"

"That's social suicide, Corona. No offense."

An awkward silence fills the area as everyone realizes that Seth will only be in town for a few days and doesn't have a social life in Newport.

"So, change of subject," Marissa asks the group. Everyone nods. "What do you think of Newport, Seth?"

"Demon water polo players in Speedos, botoxed Newpsies with their unholy gossip? I think I could get in less trouble where I'm from." Seth looks over and sees Summer, who smiles at him again. Luke and Ryan notice this time.

"Hey, Luke, let's take Seth and go get some air."

"Good idea, Cohen. Come on, Corona." Luke turns to the two girls. "Why don't you guys go see what Holly and Jess are up to? Ryan and I need a word with Seth here."

"Uh, I hate those spoiled little bitches," Taylor complains as she and Marissa walk away.

Luke and Ryan take Seth outside. Unbeknownst to any of the three, they were being followed by Zach and his boys.

"Look, man," Ryan begins, "you gotta take it easy with checking out Summer. Zach has already noticed at least once and I'm sure he's not too happy."

"You got that right," comes from a voice behind them, along with a push to Seth's back. "Take off you two," he says pointing to Ryan and Luke. "Doug, Chip, and I have some words for this Corona cunt."

"Come on Stevens," pleads Luke. "He didn't know any better. He's new and he didn't know that Summer was your girl."

"I said get the hell out of here, you morons. Unless you want a piece of this?"

"I can't let you do that, Zach. I'm responsible for him since he's staying with my folks. Plus," Ryan looks over at Seth, "he's a cool guy. And he's got good taste in women."

Zach lets out an angry roar and tackles Ryan to the ground. Chip goes after Seth, who seems to be getting the upper hand until Chip kicks him in the crotch. Doug and Zach are both losing to Luke and Ryan, but Chip helps Doug knock out Luke, and together they help Zach take out Ryan. Zach picks up a moaning Seth and motions Chip and Doug to hold him up. "Stay the fuck away from my girl," he warns Seth as he drops him again with a shot to the gut. "Welcome to the OC, bitch!" Zach turns back to Ryan and Luke, still lying on the sand. "Oh, and Cohen? Ward? You two can go on your faggoty little vacation. You're off the team." He high-five's Nordlund and Saunders and heads back into the beach house, dragging a watching Summer with him.

Marissa and Taylor run up and help their boyfriends up, asking what happened.

"It looks like we'll be getting sweaty on the soccer field this year," Ryan says with a grimace. "Let's get out of here. We'll fill you in on the way home."

* * *

"Dude, you totally had my back out there," Seth says as he places a package of frozen vegetables on his groin. "Thanks for that. Nobody has ever really stood up for me like that before. I owe you and Luke big time. I'm never going to forget this Ryan."

"It's cool man. Between the way he was treating Summer and trying to make us quit soccer, it was going to happen anyway." Ryan clasps Seth's hand. He fixes up some pillows in the form of a bed to crash out on.

"You're not going up to your room," Seth asks.

"No way, man. If Mom finds me with my ass kicked, smelling like beer, she'll be pissed."

It makes sense in Seth's alcohol-influenced mind, so he lets it go as they pass out.

* * *

"Morning boys," Kirsten says as she walks into the pool house. She sees the beginnings of red mark near Ryan's eye. "Oh my God! What happened to you?"

Ryan looks up at his mom who is currently glaring at him. "We got in a fight with Zach, Chip, and Doug. They were picking on Seth."

"What?!"

"Please stop yelling." Ryan stuffs a pillow over his ears. "I'm a little hung-over and I've got a bad headache."

"Hung-over?!"

"Ryan, can you shut off the alarm clock? It's a little loud," Seth asks sleepily.

"Ryan. Inside. Now," Kirsten says and points towards the door.

Ryan throws Seth a wave and follows his mom into the house. Kirsten goes out front to talk to Sandy, who just got back from surfing.

Seth senses more than sees them leave and gets up to get his caffeine hit. He puts a pot of coffee on and toasts up some bagels. He knows what's going on outside. Kirsten is telling Sandy that she wants him out of the house. Sandy will give in, because what does some strange kid matter when your family is on the line. At that moment, Kirsten comes back in.

"Look, Seth, I don't mean to play bad cop. It's nothing personal…"

She notices the cream cheese and bagels sitting on the counter.

"I can't really cook much, but I can brew coffee and slice, toast and schmear a bagel with the best of them."

"You seem like a good kid and Ryan said it wasn't your fault so Sandy and I decided that you could stay here until tomorrow morning, when the Social Services office opens."

"Thank you. For everything." Seth wanders back into the pool house, where he is soon joined by Ryan. "You got let out of your room fast." Noticing the two mugs of coffee and two bagels covered in cream cheese, "And you brought sustenance? Good man."

"I just wanted to apologize again for you getting your ass kicked last night."

"It was actually the best ass kicking I've ever received."

Ryan grins and hands Seth one of the mugs of coffee.

"So," Seth begins, "you're mom is being pretty cool about the whole fight thing. She's letting me crash here tonight before your dad takes me in to Child Services."

"That's cool I guess." Ryan takes a bite of bagel and follows it with a hit of caffeine. "It's too bad you can't stay."

"Yeah well, it's better than nothing."

* * *

Seth does one last check, making sure he has everything before he takes off from the Cohen's place for good. He grabs his skateboard, closes the door, and almost bowls over Ryan as he turns to leave.

"Hey what's up man," Seth asks, speaking quickly. "Just going for a late night skateboarding session. Nothing to worry about."

"I actually just came to see if you wanted to go hang out at Luke's with the girls but," Ryan looks around and lowers his voice, "are you running away?"

"Dude, I cannot go into foster care at this stage of my life. I probably wouldn't even make it into a family. Nobody wants a pre-fabricated teen. I'd probably just end up in a group home until I'm 18. No thanks." Seth goes to leave but Ryan stops him.

"What about my folks? Are you just going to bail on my dad? Where are you going? What are you going to do?"

"Just tell your folks I'm sorry. I'm sure they'll understand. As far as where I'm going and what I'm doing, I have no idea. The whole hobo thing sounds interesting. Or I may just start my pancake tour of North America early. Who knows?"

"Sounds like a great plan."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Ryan looks thoughtful for a second. All of a sudden, inspiration strikes. "Actually, yes."

* * *

A/N: So I hope you liked it. I've actually got the first five or six episodes of season one either written out or I have a story planned so I'd like to know what you guys think. My AU here resembles canon up until around The Debut, or right around there. After that, it's really different. I'm sorry if I don't mention the adults a whole lot but the first few story arcs involving them were a little boring, so I'm leaving them out for the most part. Also, you can consider anything that happened in canon true in my AU as long as it isn't explicitly contradicted in my stories. Please please please read and review!


	2. The Fire Down Below

"Ryan? Are you awake?"

Sandy Cohen knocked once more on the door of his son's room. He really wanted to clear things up with his son and let him know that they really didn't have any options. They had to send Seth back. He knew that Ryan had become good friends with Seth, but they weren't his family. As flawed as the system was and as reluctant he was to place Seth into that system, his wife has put her foot down and he knew that when The Kirsten wanted something to happen, it happened. So he knocked again.

"Ryan?"

* * *

"Ryan?"

Ryan could hear his dad knocking on the door to his room and knew that he only had a couple seconds before he gave up waiting for Ryan to answer and entered anyway. He stuffed a few more necessities into the bag; toilet paper, spare toothbrush, first aid kit, and matches, just in case. He threw the bag quickly under his bed, jumped in and covered himself with his covers just as his father walked in.

"Hey, can I talk to you," Sandy asks, walking over to Ryan's bed. He turns on the light and Ryan shields his eyes as if waking up. "You were asleep?"

"Yeah, you know, early morning tomorrow. I want to be rested so I can say good-bye to Seth properly."

"Since when do you do sarcasm?"

"I don't."

"Sorry. Seth does and it's hard to tell the difference sometimes. Can't you just talk to me? I know you're upset. Your mother and I are upset, you know. But our responsibility is to, is to our family."

Ryan just turns out the light and rolls over in bed, pretending to fall back asleep.

"I'm here if you ever want to talk kid." Sandy leans over and pats his son on the shoulder. "Goodnight, son." He leaves the room and shuts the door behind him. The second the door closes, Ryan gets out of bed, grabs the bag, and climbs out of his window.

_Out front_

Seth is dressed in all black, hiding in the bushes in front of the Cohen residence when Ryan comes up looking for him.

"Seth," Ryan loudly whispers. "Seth!"

"Dude, I'm right next to you," Seth whispers popping out from the bushes.

"You scared the crap out of me. You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I have all my stuff. Where's the car?"

"I can't drive. We'll get popped for sure. We have to get there on manual power." Ryan wheels his bike out and points at Seth's skateboard.

"I hope this magical sanctuary isn't too far away," Seth mumbles.

"Hey boys," a voice says from next door.

"Hey Cooper. You going over to Luke's?" Ryan tries to hide his bike.

"Hey! Where are you guys going? I thought Luke said you guys weren't feeling good and couldn't come over tonight," Marissa says, noticing the bike and skateboard.

"Crap. Way to take forever Ryan."

"We needed supplies. I'll bet you didn't grab TP or anything remotely necessary."

"I'll bet I didn't know that I needed to get TP. Does this mean we're going camping? I don't do nature."

"Boys," Marissa yells at them.

"Shhhhh," Seth says. "The thing is, Sandy is taking me to Child Services in the morning and I don't really feel like going into the system. Ryan seems to know of a place where he can put me up, but it's kind of a secret."

Ryan looks contemplative.

"Actually, this works out pretty good. You think you can drive us Cooper? It would save some time."

"I don't see why not. Let me just call Luke and tell him I'm running a little late." Marissa takes out her cell phone and begins to dial

"Just don't tell him what you're doing," Seth whispers. "This is kind of top secret, GS-13 classified."

Marissa looks at him strangely. "You're a little weird, you know that?"

"Yeah and apparently I talk a lot too. It keeps people on their toes."

* * *

"So where exactly are we going," Marissa asks, turning down the radio.

"We're going to one of my mom's developments. It's built but the company they contracted to finish it for the open house just disappeared so it's empty."

"Is that the same development that your mom had the model of on the counter tonight?"

"One and the same," Ryan answers, turning the radio back up.

They ride in silence for awhile, but Ryan can see Seth fidgeting in the back. He lets him go on for a bit but Seth finally breaks.

"What kind of music are we listening to," Seth asks. "I feel like my brain is literally going to explode."

"It's Journey," Marissa says. "Ryan got me listening to it when we were kids. I've loved it ever since."

"Journey? Dude, you like Journey? That's a little minty, don't you think?"

"Hey," Ryan turns and points at Seth, "do NOT insult Journey, ok?"

"Sorry, man."

Marissa decides she might need to broker a little peace between the two. "So what kind of music do you listen to, Seth?"

"I like lots of old punk rock, like The Ramones, The Clash, and The Sex Pistols. I also like newer stuff like Death Cab, The Shins, and Bright Eyes."

Ryan turns to look at Seth. "Are those bands?"

"Sacrilege!"

"Hey I like those first few bands. I'm into the whole punk rock thing right now." At Seth's incredulous look, "What? I'm angry."

Ryan points off to the right. "Turn here. This is it."

Marissa parks the vehicle and they get out.

"It looks dark in there. Did you guys bring any flashlights?"

Ryan and Seth just look at each other. "I brought matches," Ryan says with a shrug.

Marissa digs through the emergency kit in her trunk and comes up with two flashlights. "It's a good thing you guys brought me or you'd probably end up burning the place down with your matches."

Ryan unlocks the door with the key he took from Kirsten and the three go into the model home.

"So what happened here," Marissa asks. "Why did those contractors just take off?"

"Who knows? All Mom said is that they put the open house on hiatus until they could locate them. I figure it would make a good base of operations until we figure out what to do."

"Thanks for setting me up with this, Ryan."

"No worries. I wasn't quite ready for you to leave yet anyway. From what I saw the other night at the party, neither is Summer." Ryan winks at Marissa.

"Yeah, well, I don't see that happening now, not with me leaving and all. I hope I didn't ruin everything with you and Luke and water polo by the way."

"Nah, it's cool. I got tired of shaving my chest all the time."

Marissa starts laughing. "That was probably the worst thing about you and Luke playing water polo. You two looked like Abercrombie models."

"Now THAT is definitely minty," Seth says, joining Marissa in laughing.

Seth and Ryan set up the tent and Seth rolls out a sleeping bag. Ryan begins unpacking the supplies. He pulls out the TP and Seth flashes him a thumbs up. Seth grabs the roll and walks downstairs.

A couple minutes later he yells up, "Hey, you guys have to come see this!"

"Oh, gross!" Marissa looks ill.

"Dude, there is no way I'm coming down there to look at that!"

"It's not that. I never made it that far. It's something different. Just come check it out."

Ryan and Marissa walk downstairs hesitantly, still unsure if Seth is going to gross them out.

"This place is so much better than some group home. And the best part?" Seth swings the back doors open.

"It's an empty pool," Ryan says.

"To some people."

Seth drops into the pool and begins skateboarding while Ryan and Marissa pass out the fast food they picked up on the way.

"So what is the story with you two," Seth asks, picking his board up. He walks over and grabs a cheeseburger and joins Ryan and Marissa on the edge.

"What do you mean," Marissa says and takes a drink of her soda.

"I mean, you guys grow up next door to each other, you've known each other all of your lives. You never dated, hooked up, whatever the kids are calling it these days?"

Ryan and Marissa look at each other and begin to laugh.

"What, did I say something funny?"

Ryan puts down his burger. "No, no, it's just like you said, Marissa and I have been friends forever. My mom and her dad even used to date in school. We were raised together. She's like a sister to me."

"And Ryan is like a brother to me. An uglier, not as fashion forward brother." She laughs as Ryan throws a fry at her. "Seriously? It would be kind of weird. I've always known Ryan. We've been around each other so much over the years, we may as well be related."

Ryan looks down at his watch. "Shit! It's getting late. I've got to get home before Mom or Dad make another unscheduled check of my room. And you," he points toward Marissa, "need to get over to Luke's." He turns back to Seth. "I'll come over and pick you up tomorrow and we'll do breakfast."

"You guys aren't going to tell anybody right? I mean, if your dad found out, he'd be pretty pissed."

"Well, I'm sure Summer will ask where you went off to. What should I tell her," Marissa asks.

Ryan answers for Seth. "Don't tell her anything, yet. We'll talk about it at breakfast tomorrow."

"Can I bring Luke?"

Ryan shrugs. "I don't see why not. I'm bringing Taylor."

"Guys, I thought this was a top secret mission here. GS-13 classified, I could tell you but I'd have to kill you, the whole bit!"

"Not quite, but don't worry. Nobody else will find out."

* * *

Seth is outside skateboarding again when Ryan and Marissa show up the next morning.

"Nice trick," Ryan says as Seth lands a particularly tricky looking maneuver. "I was never really into the whole skateboarding thing. I was more of a bike kid."

"Yeah, I guess I could see that about you. You're not really built like a skater."

"You mean I'm not as skinny as a bean pole like Cooper over there," Ryan says, laughing. "You may want to limit your outside activities to nighttime so you don't get noticed by anyone."

"We're in the middle of nowhere. The only way someone could even find this place is if they followed you here. So what happened to breakfast? I was stuck with jerky and Mountain Dew. Not the greatest breakfast foods in the world."

"That had to get pushed back to lunch. The cops came over," Ryan says.

Seth stops his skateboard. "The fuzz? What did they want?"

"Kirsten called the cops when she couldn't find you this morning."

"Great. I'm now officially on the run. What a great start to the day." Seth picks the board up and walks over to Ryan. "So what did you tell them?"

"Nothing. I think Mom and Dad are used to me not saying much by now." Ryan shrugs. "I've got my jeep today so we're good to go. You ready?"

"Hell yeah. I have to use the bathroom so bad."

"You haven't gone? That's why I brought the TP."

"No running water, man."

"Oh."

The three walk up to the door leave but are stopped by the murmur of voices coming from inside the model home.

"It's my mom," Ryan says, peeking through the glass pane, "and…Jimmie Cooper?" He looks over at Marissa, who shrugs. "What the hell are they doing here?"

Ryan strains to hear the conversation through the door. He hears enough to gather that the Coopers are in a spot of financial trouble. Jimmie apparently has lost a lot of money due to some bad investments. He hears his mom agree to loan Jimmie 100,000. He also hears that new contractors have been hired and will be resuming work on the house tomorrow morning.

Jimmie and Kirsten leave and Ryan relates what he has heard to Marissa.

"Guess that means I'm gone."

"Can we keep this between us?" Seth and Ryan both nod and Marissa stuffs her hands in her pockets. "Let's just go get some lunch."

_The Diner_

Ryan crawls into the booth at the diner, claiming the seat next to Taylor. Marissa slides in next to Luke. Seth walks straight towards the bathroom.

"Where's he going," Taylor asks.

"No running water at the model home," Ryan answers. A collective 'oh' issues from everyone at the table.

Seth soon returns and is followed to the table by a waitress. Lunch orders are placed and casual lunch talk turns to what they are going to do.

"So the contractors start up again tomorrow," Ryan says morosely. "We have to figure out something to do for Seth."

"That blows Corona. So what are you going to do?"

"I've always wanted to do that pancake tour of North America. And the hobo thing is back in style again. I'm sure I can find odd work to do to make some money as I go on my travels."

"Le vagabond. Très romantique," Taylor says with a dreamy look in her eyes.

Seth snaps his fingers and her. "Hey, Earth to Taylor. What does that mean?"

"Taylor takes a lot of language classes. A lot," Ryan explains. "One of which is French."

"It means that I think it's so romantic traveling the country, riding the rails, going wherever the wind takes you. Not for me, but it makes for a very interesting story. 'On the Road' is one of my favorite books."

"She's got good taste," Seth says to Ryan.

Ryan kisses her on the forehead. "I know."

"Not to interrupt this romantic moment," Luke says, "but what are we going to do for Corona here?"

"Seriously, you guys don't have to do anything for me. You've already done so much just by hanging out with me this weekend."

Marissa lets out a surprised "Oh," and almost chokes on her club sandwich."

"Apparently Cooper has an idea."

"Yes I do. We can all pool some money together and get you a bus ticket. Anywhere, you want to go. Whatever is left over, you can use to start your new life as a 'vagabond.'"

Taylor crosses her arms and glares at Marissa.

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea," Ryan concedes, "but I think I can do you one better. How about we send him out in style? Summer's birthday is tomorrow, right?" At everyone's nod, he continues. "Well, I was thinking surprise birthday party at the model home. What do you think?"

Everyone agrees that it sounds like a great idea. Taylor and Marissa are excited because it will give them an opportunity to get in a warm up before kick-off carnival. Luke is excited because any excuse to drink beer is a good one. Ryan is excited because he'll get to hang out with Seth one last night before he takes off for good. Seth's excitement is made obvious with his next comment.

"So should I get her something? I mean what do kids these days get other kids for their birthday?"

"Yo, Cohen," Luke says, laughing, "Tell Corona to take a chill pill."

Ryan looks at Seth. "I'm pretty sure she'll be happy just to see you there. She's obviously got a thing for you from the way she was looking at you at Holly's party."

Taylor nods in affirmation. "Marissa and I talked to her last night. She thinks you're cute and she was asking us all about you. We didn't really know anything so we just told her what you told us at the party. Is that ok?"

"No, that's perfect. I'm a bad boy and a drug dealer. I'm troubled. She can save me."

Everyone laughs at Seth and they get up to pay and plan the party for that night at the model home. Nobody notices that, a few booths away, the captain of the water polo team is fuming over a cup of coffee.

* * *

"Dr. Roberts, how nice to see you!"

Zach walks in the front door, greeting his girlfriend's father with a strong shake of the hand.

"Zach. Always a pleasure. Are you here to see Summer?"

"Oh, yes sir. I was intending on taking your daughter out to dinner this evening for her birthday."

"Well, that sounds nice. You do know that her birthday isn't until tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, sir. I just wanted to get a head start on her day. You know how birthdays are important to girls," Zach says, winking at the older man.

"Yes, well, that only lasts until their thirties. Summer is upstairs if you'd like to go talk to her."

"Thank you, sir. It's nice to see you again!" Zach waves to the older man as he ascends the stairs. If that senile senior citizen knew what he wanted to do to his little bitch of a daughter for how she acted at Holly's party, he would have been greeted at the door by a shotgun and not a handshake. Must be why I'm so good with parents, he thinks to himself with a smile.

Reaching Summer's room, he knocks and, without waiting for an answer, enters.

"Zach! I could have been naked!"

His girlfriend is, in fact, laying out on her bed reading a book. Fully clothed. Prude, Zach thinks. He says instead, "Don't tease me, baby," and kisses the back of her neck.

"So I really wanted to apologize for what happened at Holly's party the other night. I really want to make up for beating up your friends. What do you think about dinner at the yacht club tonight? We can celebrate your birthday a little early then hit up Holly's again. She's having another party tonight."

Summer eyes him suspiciously. "I guess its ok," she relents. "I've got to meet Taylor and Marissa in a few hours but you can pick me up later, when I'm done. I should only be with them for an hour or so."

"Why don't you bring them to the party? You can celebrate with them there."

"That's probably not a good idea seeing as how you beat up their boyfriends and kicked them off of the team." Zach begins to apologize again but Summer cuts him off. "I get it, you're sorry. Make it up to me tonight and we'll see. I'll call you when we're done."

Zach says good-bye and leaves the house. Walking to his car, he flips open his cell phone and dials a number.

"Nordlund? Go pick up Saunders and meet me at my place. We've got plans tonight."

* * *

"Ok Coop, Townsend, one of you better spit out where we're going or I'm cracking some skulls. We've been driving for like an hour and we're still not there."

"We've only been driving for like 15 minutes, Sum. We're almost there."

"Well where are we going? You didn't answer that question."

"It's a surprise Summer! You love surprises," Taylor says.

"I hate surprises, Townsend. Remember the 'surprise' you gave me for my birthday three years ago?"

"Of course. That stray little kitty was sooo cute!"

"It also had fleas Townsend. You're lucky I covered for you with my dad. He about had a seizure. I told him it must have crawled into my room by itself."

"Don't worry Sum. This surprise is much better." Marissa pulls into the gravel driveway of the model home. "Ta dah!"

"You got me an unfinished house for my birthday," Summer asks, looking confused.

"Get with it Summer! We're throwing you a surprise party. The boys are up there already. We've got drinks and cake and-"

"Presents?" Summer looks hopeful.

"Not really, Sum. But there is someone here that was looking forward to seeing you."

"Is that guy Seth here? Because, if he is, then you do really know what a girl wants for her birthday."

None of the girls notice that they've been followed to the model home by an SUV containing three occupants, none of which were invited to the party.

_Inside the model home_

"Surprise," the boys yell as Summer and the girls walk into a large, spare room. It's decorated with lots of pictures of Summer; ones with the boys, ones with her girls, ones of young Summer, ones of older Summer. Mood lighting is established with some candles, thoughtfully picked up by Taylor and Marissa.

"Coop! Townsend! This is awesome! You guys did all this for me?"

"You bet," Marissa answers. "Now enjoy it. That's an order."

Summer mock salutes. "Yes, ma'am!"

Drinks are passed around, cake is handed out and good times are had by all. Ryan and Luke have a push-up contest, the girls perform karaoke on the machine Taylor brought from home, and Seth regales the group with stories of growing up all over the east coast. Luke and Marissa leave to go get more beer, closely followed by Ryan and Taylor, who make some excuse about cups and napkins before leaving.

Seth turns to look at Summer. "So do you get the feeling that was just a poorly constructed excuse to leave us alone together?"

"Absolutely. Do I care? Not particularly. Actually, I'm glad they did that because I've wanted to get you alone for awhile."

"I knew it. It's my bod, isn't it," Seth says and tries to flex the small amount of muscle on his body.

Summer tries to hold in her laughter and ends up making a strange honking noise.

"A simple 'no' probably would have sufficed."

Summer stops laughing and wipes away the tears that formed. "I'm sorry. I think you're really cute but nobody is going to confuse you with a Venice Beach bodybuilder."

"I'll settle for cute I guess."

"So what's up? I thought you were leaving?"

"I am actually. Tomorrow morning. I'm catching a bus up to San Fran and from there, it's off to parts unknown. I just have to try and stay off of the government's radar until I'm 18."

Summer looks disappointed. "That sucks. I was kinda hoping you'd stay around here. So we could all hang out and stuff."

"Well what happens when you go back to school in the fall? I just hang around here? No, I think it's better if I just take off now."

"I wish you didn't have to leave. I'm just getting to know you. You seem like a pretty nice guy. I…I've never really been with someone like you. A nice guy. I've always been with the jerks."

"Like Zach?"

"Yeah. Like Zach."

They both sit in silence for awhile.

"So, what did you get me for my birthday?"

"Uhm, well…you never told me what you wanted."

"It's ok. You've already got it. You just have to give it to me."

Seth looks confused. "What is it?"

"One birthday kiss." Summer smiles at him.

Seth smiles back at her, takes her head in his hands and gently kisses her on the lips.

"Get your hands off of my girlfriend, fucker!"

Seth breaks the kiss off in surprise and takes Zach's fist to his head, knocking him down.

"Zach, you asshole. Go away!"

"You two," Zach points to Chip and Doug, "get her out of here. I'm gonna teach this faggot what happens when you mess with another guy's girl."

Chip and Doug grab Summer and drag her, protesting, out of the room.

Zach turns back towards Seth and gets tackled into a rack of paint cans. Some of the very-flammable paint hits the lit candles, which cascades the room in a fiery curtain of flames. Zach regains the upper hand and begins to pummel Seth to an inch of his life.

_Outside_

"Dude, what's going on in there," Doug asks Chip.

"Who knows? Zach's probably beating on that kid from Corona. But look what we've got out here." Chip checks out Summer, currently being held in a bear hug by Doug. "She's looking fine tonight."

"Hell, yeah!"

"I say maybe we have a little fun with her. Maybe not tell Zach about it."

Summer has heard enough. She stomps on Doug's foot with her three inch long heel, causing him to give up his hold on her and fall to the ground. She swings her leg back and kicks Chip square in the groin as hard as she can, unintentionally making up for Chip kicking Seth in the groin at Holly's party. She runs out toward the street, dialing into her cell phone as she does.

"Hello, 911?"

_Back inside_

The flames are about ready to overtake the entire room. Zach delivers one last punch to a battered Seth, and leaves. Seth begins to crawl out of the room, barely making it out before a beam collapses, blocking what would have been his only exit. He army crawls down the stairs only to pass out in the foyer, fire all around him.

Luke and Ryan pull up simultaneously, having picked Summer up near the road. They run into the building and see Seth passed out in the foyer. The pick him up and carry him out just as the entire building goes up in flames. Ryan begins to give him CPR and heaves a sigh of relief as Seth starts coughing.

"Oh my ribs," Seth mumbles.

"Figures the first thing out of Corona's mouth is a complaint," Luke says, breaking the nervous quiet that had settled over the group. Everyone looks up at the sound of approaching sirens and see police squad cars, fire trucks and ambulances on their way towards the burning building. Sandy and Kirsten pull up at the same time, running over to Ryan.

"Oh my God," Kirsten cries, "are you all okay?"

"We're okay mom. I'm sorry."

A police officer comes up. "Is this boy okay," he asks pointing at Seth.

Ryan speaks up. "I think so. He might have a broken rib. He was coughing and complaining of pain in his chest."

"Were you boys involved in this fire," he asks Ryan.

"No they weren't," Seth says quietly. "It's my fault."

The officer picks him up and places him in handcuffs. "We're going to need to ask you some questions."

"Wait!"

Everyone looks over at Summer.

"He wasn't the only one there. I saw Zach Stevens here too."

The officer tells another policeman to send a unit over to the Stevens residence to pick up the boy. He places Seth into the back of the cruiser.

"Officer, I'm Mr. Siefman's attorney. Please don't ask him any questions unless I'm present. Seth... keep your mouth shut."

The cop closes the door to the squad car and drives away, everyone's eyes watching it leave with Seth in the back.

* * *

A/N: So most of you know by now that I have been appropriating some phrases from canon and twisting them around for my own personal enjoyment. No intellectual infringement intended to the writers of The OC or anyone else. Random fact of the chapter: Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for traveling but preferring to stay in one location. Cool, huh? Never knew that. Please Review!

AZ


	3. The Two of a Kind

"We've got to stop meeting like this."

Sandy Cohen sits down at the table reserved for visiting legal representatives and family. He sets his attaché case down and the table and removes the folder containing the newest charges against his client, Seth Siefman.

"What, you mean the blue jumpsuit isn't a good look for me? I think I'm getting adjusted to it. Unfortunately."

"Some good news. Kirsten's company has dropped all arson charges, which means, pending your probation hearing, you'll be out, no problem."

"When is this probation hearing?"

"30 to 60 days." Seth drops his head into his hands and Sandy continues. "I could have you out sooner, if I could release you into the care of a parent or a guardian."

"Yeah, I don't see that happening. My mom doesn't want to be found and, no offense, you're not going to be the one to find her."

Sandy looks up at this last statement. "Is there something you want to tell me about your mom?"

Seth turns his head at the sound of the gate being opened, only to see Zach Stevens being buzzed out of the cell block and welcomed into the open arms of his parents. "He gets to leave," Seth asks Sandy.

"Who? Zach? Well, according to both of you, the fire was an accident and he's got no priors. His record's clean."

Seth watches as Zach smiles, throws him a wave, and walks away with his family. "And he has someone to take him home."

"Seth, you know if I could…" Sandy trails off, leaving the statement unfinished. He knows that doing so would only unnecessarily hurt the boy. "It's going to be ok."

"My mom ditched me. I burned your wife's house down. How is this going to be okay?"

"We're going to find your mother."

Seth laughs at him. "No you won't."

"We will do whatever it takes."

"It doesn't matter. I don't want you to find her anyway."

"If only you'd come to me...instead of running away..." Sandy begins, before being interrupted by Seth.

"Why? So you could leave me with Child Services? So I could go into foster care? I'd rather take a sharp object to the eye."

"Forget sharp object! You could have died in that fire!"

Seth holds his head in his hands. "Look…you and your family have done more than enough. I appreciate everything, I really do." Seth stands up to leave the table. "Tell you wife I said thank you for dropping the charges. And tell Ryan…" Seth looks up, thinking. "Tell Ryan thanks. For everything."

"I will."

Seth walks back into the cell block. As he is making his way in the direction of his cell, he gets pushed into another inmate.

"My bad, man. Love the 'stache."

The other inmate, a tattooed Latino that looks more like he belongs in a men's penitentiary than juvie pushes him back into the bars. "Shut the fuck up. Apologize. Now."

"Jeez, I'm sorry. Where are we, San Quentin?"

"Oh, you ain't sorry yet. But you will be." The inmate shoves him once more and is pushed off by a nearby guard. Seth locks eyes with Sandy as he too is pushed forward by the guard.

* * *

Ryan sits in bed, staring at the wall. He tried to talk his dad into letting him visit Seth earlier, but the only response he got was that he was lucky he was only grounded and that he was doing everything he could for the kid. Buncha bullshit, he thought to himself. He could see the lie in his father's eyes. That kid could no more handle himself in jail than a golden retriever could handle a pistol. Some people were just born with survival instincts and Ryan got the feeling that Seth just wasn't one of them. Ryan was tired of waiting around. He was going to go see his new friend, grounded or not.

Ryan grabs his keys off of the dresser and heads downstairs. Hearing the voices of the Newpsies in the living room, he sneaks through the kitchen, intending on using the patio door to make it outside. What he didn't count on was that his mother would be outside, sipping on a Bellini.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Taylor's." Ryan turns to leave.

"You're grounded. Try again."

Ryan sighs and turns back to his mother. "I'm worried about Seth. I'm going to see him."

"No, no you are not. No way."

Ryan waves at her and begins to walk away again.

"Ryan! I know that I am not the perfect Carol Brady mom, but I love you and I am trying to protect you. I have dropped all the charges on him. I have hired somebody to find his mother. What more do you want?"

"I want you to come with me."

Kirsten opens her mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by Julie poking her head out of the patio door.

"Kirsten? Oh, there you are. We're talking about the bunting. Is acetate okay?"

"Sounds great." Kirsten turns back to Ryan. "Give me fifteen minutes to lose the ladies."

Ryan takes a seat on the patio furniture as Kirsten heads back inside.

"Excuse me, ladies?" All of the Newpsies look up from the studying of notes and sipping of drinks. "I just thought of a great idea for the theme. How about a formal Vegas Night? It's not a black tie affair so we don't go against our amendment and it still allows us to raise money by allowing gambling without having the generic title of 'Casino Night'. Does that work for everybody?" All of the women begin to nod simultaneously. Kirsten begins to divvy up the responsibilities for the evening to the different women. They agree to finalize everything at setup the next day and, at exactly the fifteen minute mark, Kirsten meets her son outside.

Ryan heads toward his Jeep, only to be stopped by his mother.

"Uh uh. I'm driving. You're still grounded."

* * *

Summer picks up her ringing cell phone and looks at the caller ID: Ryan Cohen.

"Aloha."

"Roberts. What's up?"

"I'm grounded to my room. What do you think is up?"

"Yeah, I know the feeling. My mom grounded me too. I'm actually outside your house right now though? You think you can get away for a couple hours? My mom and I are going to juvie to see Seth."

Summer looks out her window and waves at Ryan. "I wish I could, but my dad is currently pretty pissed off at me. I don't think asking if I can go see who he refers to as 'that felon' would be the best way to get in his good graces. Especially not if I want to go to the fundraiser thing tomorrow. Can you tell him I said that I hope he's doing good, though? I feel like what happened is my fault."

"It's nobody's fault besides Zach's." He looks back at his mother, who is sitting in the Rover, looking impatient. "He's the one that started the whole thing and I promise you, he'll pay for it."

"Don't do anything stupid Cohen, and don't forget to tell Seth I said 'hi'."

* * *

"Let's just make this quick, okay?"

Ryan nods his agreement, not wanting to be in this depressing place any longer than he absolutely has to. He walks into the visiting area as his mother signs their names into the visitor's log. Hearing the buzzer that signals the opening of the cell block gate, he looks up and sees the brown mop of hair that belongs to his friend, Seth.

"Hey, what's up," Ryan begins. He stops when he sees the four puncture wounds on the boy's neck. "What happened to your neck?"

"Got bit by a mutant vampire," Seth explains, spreading his hands in a 'what can you do' gesture.

Kirsten walks up and stands next to the table. Seth gives her a slight wave, which she returns.

"Sorry about the model home thing. I didn't think Zach would find out about it."

"Hey, what's the matter, huh? Give me a smile."

Seth looks over and sees the Latino gang-banger from earlier. "Yeah, well, who could have foreseen anyone finding out where I was," he asks Ryan, ignoring the other inmate. "I mean, it's not like we had any foot traffic going into the house."

Ryan ducks his head over a smile.

"You got a nice swerve on you, lady. You fine," Gang-banger says, giving Kirsten another approving look.

"Hey, buddy," Seth says, trying to distract the idiot from talking to Kirsten, "quit proving to us that our tax dollars really aren't going towards bettering public education, like the state promises. You're acting like the poster child for The March of Dimes."

"Are you kidding me? You have a death wish you little fuck?" Gang-banger gets up and starts walking in their direction.

"Guards," Kirsten yells.

"Leave her alone," Ryan says as he stands up in front of Gang-banger.

"This your little honey," he asks Ryan. He turns back to Kirsten. "Come on bitch, I only need, like, two minutes." Ryan shoves Gang-banger into the wall. Gang-banger pushes Ryan away, reaches into his jumpsuit, and pulls out a metal spoon, sharpened into a shiv. Seth sees this and jumps in front of Ryan just as Gang-banger lunges forward. A guard finally arrives and pulls Gang-banger off of Seth and Ryan. A second guard arrives and calls for medical attention as Seth lies on the floor, bleeding profusely.

* * *

Sandy pulls his BMW into the driveway and sits in the car for awhile. He doesn't know if he can handle working at the Public Defender's office much longer. Everything that he has gone through in the past week with Seth has certainly placed added strain on an already stressful job, not to mention what has been happening in his relationship with Ryan. He knew his son had been keeping something from him, but hiding Seth? He thought he had made it clear that he wanted to help Seth just as much as Ryan did. Sometimes he thought that, no matter how much he tried to help the innocent, he was only putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. He finally gets out of the car and heads into the house. The sound of cars crashing and bullets flying greets his ears. He can't believe Ryan would have the audacity to directly disobey him. He was always so trustworthy.

"Ryan…what did we say? No television," Sandy yells as he comes into the family room. He sees Seth sitting on the couch next to his son. "Oh."

He sets down his attaché case and heads in the direction of the kitchen, where he sees his wife sipping from a glass of wine.

"I never knew you to be an impulse shopper," he says, following her into the living room.

"I didn't know what else to do."

"Well, did you tell him it was permanent?"

"No, of course not."

"'Cause we can't keep jerking this kid around, pulling him out of juvie, sending him to foster care, giving him hope, and-and taking it away."

Kirsten takes the wine glass from her mouth. "They were going to kill him, Sandy! He stepped in front of a shank meant for Ryan. Our son owes him his life!"

"It was a shiv," Sandy clarifies. "Shank is a verb."

Kirsten glares at him. "Regardless, he couldn't stay there. But he can't stay here, either. We've got to find his mother."

"He doesn't seem to think we can. And even if we could, I don't think he wants to find her."

"He's a kid, Sandy. He doesn't know what he wants," she says, a little louder than necessary.

"I'll just think of it as staying at a hotel then," says a voice from behind them.

Kirsten turns to see Seth leaning against the doorway. He walks back to the family room and Kirsten takes a guilty sip from her wine.

* * *

Seth walks in from the pool house and sees Ryan already sitting at the counter, eating dry cereal straight from the box.

"Do you have something against the dairy industry," Seth asks, handing him a bowl and spoon.

"Huh?"

"I never see you eating cereal from a bowl. You always eat it plain."

"I'm not much for spoons. Or forks. Sorry," he says, as Seth rubs his neck and ribs. "So I really owe you big time. You saved my life man. I can't even begin to think how I can pay you back."

"It's cool. Really. Although, I think I may start using chopsticks if I'm here for more take-out. I've kind of lost my passion for those so-called innocent serving utensils as well."

Ryan laughs and takes another handful of cereal. "So how was your late night get together with Summer on her birthday," he asks as he throws the cereal in his mouth.

"You mean before her ex-boyfriend arrived and tried to burn down the model home with me in it? Awesome."

"That's it? Seriously man, I can't shut you up sometimes, and all you give me is 'awesome?'"

"There may have been a kiss," Seth confesses. "Although, there was also some mocking of my scrawny body and an ass kicking of said scrawny body. Overall, I think the night went well."

"So what are you going to say when you see her?"

"What do you mean? You heard your folks. When they find my mom, I'm back with her and then we're off again."

"Today is set-up for Vegas Night, which is tomorrow. As good as my dad is, I don't think he's going to find your mom today or tomorrow. Which means…"

"…I'm going to see her," Seth finishes for Ryan. "I have to say, I didn't really foresee this outcome."

"Well, you better come up with something. I'm sure she'll have something to say to you."

* * *

"Guys, I have no idea what I'm going to say to him," Summer says to her friends as she sits down in a huff on her bed.

"What are you talking about Sum," Marissa asks her friend.

"Ryan sent me a text last night, telling me that Seth is out of juvie and spending at least today with them at their place."

"Has anything changed between what you felt at the model home and how you feel now," Taylor asks, holding a top up to her upper body and checking the look in the mirror.

"No, but how do I apologize for what happened?"

"Summer, what _did_ happen at the model home?" Taylor turns to look at her with her hands on her hips, top forgotten.

"Zach showed up and beat the crap out of him and left him for dead."

"Exactly," Taylor says. "_Zach_ did all of those things. Do you think Seth will blame you?"

Marissa picks up on Taylor's line of thought. "Yeah, Sum. He's probably been thinking of how he's going to follow up on that kiss, not how much he hates you for what happened."

Summer smiles. "Thanks you guys. Now you just have to help me figure out a plan to get my dad to let me go to Vegas Night."

"What do you mean Summer?"

"My dad grounded me for being involved in the whole model home thing so I don't know if he's going to let me out of the house." Summer sits back on her bed, again looking dejected.

"Ooh, ooh! Idea coming in. Aaaand here it is!" Taylor moves over to the bed and begins explaining the plan to her friends.

* * *

Ryan is on the phone, talking to Taylor, while Kirsten drives him and Seth to help set up for Vegas Night.

"So you will already know most of the ladies there," Kirsten explains to Seth. "You met a lot of them at the fashion show."

"Great, so these vultures are going to be circling around, waiting for the wounded animal to bite the dust so they can go in for the kill?"

Kirsten hides a smile with her hand. "It's not like that. Most of them know the truth behind what happened, and not the version the Stevens have spun and are passing through Newport. You'll have Julie Cooper and Veronica Townsend on your side, and those are two women that not even Elaine Stevens would mess with."

"Right. Thanks for the heads up, babe. I'll see you tomorrow." Ryan flips his phone closed and turns to Kirsten. "Mom, we need to go by the Roberts' place."

"What for?"

"I need you to convince Dr. Roberts to let Summer go to Vegas Night. He grounded her and won't let her out of the house."

"Well, sweetie, if Neil has grounded Summer, then I'm sure that there's a perfectly good reason for it. I'm not sure if I could convince him to unground her anyway."

"Don't kid yourself, Mom. The only reason you didn't put yourself in that group with Veronica and Julie is because you were being modest. Trust me when I say that, some days, you are just as scary, if not more so, than those two."

Kirsten glares at her son. "I'll see what I can do. I'm not making any promises."

_15 Minutes Later_

"I told you, Mom," Ryan is saying as he and his mother walk back to the Rover. "All you had to do was work a little of that Newpsie magic and he was putty in your hands."

"All I said was that, if it wasn't for Summer calling for help, Seth may have died in that model home and that I thought it would be a more than fitting punishment for her to attend Vegas Night and donate her winnings to charity."

"I just hope I got some of that famous Nichol slyness from you," Ryan says as he gets back into the car.

"So, what's the deal? Is she going to be at Vegas Night," Seth asks.

* * *

"You over there! I told you, that table doesn't belong that close to the door. Put it near the craps table," Julie yells as she gestures in the direction she wants the card table placed. "Kirsten, Ryan! How are you?" She greets Kirsten with a hug and Ryan with a wave. Turning, she sees Seth.

Seth gives a slight wave. "Hi, I'm Seth."

"Julie Cooper, nice to meet you. How are you doing after the fire and everything? Terrible business that was. Marissa told me everything." She envelops Seth in a hug, causing a confused glance to be shared between Kirsten and Ryan.

"Uhm, Julie? I thought maybe the boys would be able to help with some of the heavy lifting," Kirsten says, looking at some of the larger card tables.

"That's perfect. Luke is already here helping." Julie points in the direction of the craps table, where the larger blonde boy is attempting to set up the table by himself.

"I'll go help him," Ryan says, and heads in Luke's direction.

"I'm not really good for heavy lifting," Seth points out, "but whatever I can do to help make up for the fire…"

"That seems to be a pretty popular sentiment," Julie says, and points toward the entrance, where Zach is standing with his mother. "I'll take care of this." She makes her way towards the two with purpose in her stride.

"I wouldn't want to be either one of them right now. Come on, you can help me set up cards and chips." Kirsten motions Seth to follow her to one of the already assembled card tables.

"Elaine! How are you? I'm so glad to see that Zach isn't in that terrible jail anymore." Julie greets the woman with a kiss to each cheek.

"Well, of course we couldn't let him stay in there. As soon as his father heard what happened, he made a call to the governor. Zach was out in a matter of hours. We thought it would be very appropriate for Zach to help set up for Kirsten's event to make up for what happened. Not that we're admitting fault," she clarifies.

"Yeah, you know, anything I can do to help make amends for what happened, Mrs. Cooper," Zach adds.

"Well, as you can see, we've already got plenty of help. Luke Ward is here, along with Ryan Cohen and the boy the Cohens took in, Seth." Julie points to the two boys assembling the craps table and the skinnier boy currently entertaining Kirsten at a poker table.

"What is _he _still doing here," Elaine asks, a grimace covering her face. "I thought that he would still be in jail after everything he did. Wasn't he in violation of his parole?"

"I wouldn't know Elaine. What I do know is that, since Kirsten's company dropped all charges, _everyone_ involved was released. Not just those with political connections. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have many more things to do to get this place ready for tomorrow night. We'll see you there," Julie says as she walks back to finish setting up.

"I can't believe they let that juvenile delinquent out of jail," a seething Elaine Stevens says once Julie Cooper is out of earshot. She walks out of the country club, closely followed by her son. She removes her phone from her purse and dials her husband's office number. "Dear? I want to know what the story is with this boy the Cohens have brought into our neighborhood."

* * *

Sandy Cohen is sitting at his desk, packing up after a long day in and out of court when his intercom buzzes.

"Sandy, I have a call for you on line one," his secretary, Joyce, says.

"Put him through." Sandy picks up the phone. "Sandy Cohen speaking. Jim, how are you? Did you find her? You did? No, her name's not Ackerman, its Siefman. Are you sure? Well, where is she? Right, laundromat in Chino. Thanks, Jim. I appreciate it."

Sandy hangs up the phone, grabs his bag, and heads out of the office. Chino, he thinks to himself. Who would have guessed that one?

_Chino_

Sandy walks into the dingy looking self-service laundromat and looks around for the woman his private investigator described. He spotted her wearing the ugliest looking smock that must be what was considered a uniform at this place. She turned around and Sandy's jaw hit the floor.

"Rebecca? Rebecca Bloom?"

Sandy could see the look of recognition register in Rebecca's eyes and knew that it was, indeed, his old college girlfriend. She didn't look like the same Rebecca he knew all those years ago; she looked worn down and tired. Apparently all that running from the law wasn't good for stress levels. All the wheels started to click into place for Sandy right then. The conversations where Seth couldn't say why he didn't have a stable home growing up, why he thought Sandy wouldn't be able to locate his mother, all started to make sense.

"Sandy Cohen. What are the odds of running into you here?"

"Pretty good, considering the private investigator I hired to find you told me that you worked here."

Rebecca looks confused. "Why would you hire a PI to find me?"

"It's your son, Seth. He's been staying with us for awhile and we needed to find you." Sandy looks around and sees all the people in the building. "Why don't we go somewhere a little more private? You have a place around here?"

Rebecca hangs her head. "Just some dingy motel. I wasn't planning on staying for long. I needed a couple weeks of pay before I could take off again." She looks back up at Sandy. "How is he?"

"I'll tell you on the way."

_The Mermaid Inn_

"You should be good here for a few days until we can figure out a more permanent solution," Sandy says as he walks Rebecca to his car.

"There is no permanent solution, Sandy. I'm wanted by the FBI for arson and manslaughter. I can't stay. I shouldn't even be here now. I don't know how you talked me into coming."

"You need to explain to Seth what happened. You're his mother Rebecca. You have a responsibility towards him. And I can help you out with the charges against you. We can work out some kind of plea agreement to lower your jail time."

"I don't know Sandy. I just don't know."

_The House_

"So maybe sometime we can a trip down to the harbor. I'm sure Dad wouldn't mind you taking his sailboat out, as long as an adult is present of course." Kirsten sets down the bags she is carrying in the foyer.

"Yeah, it sounds like fun," Seth says, setting his bags down as well.

"Hey, sweetie." Rebecca stands up from the couch, where she has been talking with Sandy.

"Mom?"

"Rebecca?"

"Dad?"

_Later, Dinner_

"So, Rebecca, how long have you been working at the laundromat," Kirsten asks.

"Just about a week. I needed some travel money and it was the only place that was willing to pay cash and would hire me without a background check."

"So you're just going to take off again? You really were just going to leave me here, weren't you?" Seth stands up from the table and walks toward the pool house.

"I'm really sorry," Rebecca apologizes and follows her son out of the house.

"What do you want from me mom," Seth asks when Rebecca enters the pool house. "What are you doing here? You abandoned me and left a note. A note!"

"I know and I'm sorry about that. I didn't know what else to do. Things are going to be different now, though. Sandy is going to talk to his contacts in the FBI and see what he can do about getting me some kind of amnesty. We might be able to put all this running behind us."

"So now that your old flame is offering to help, you're all about being a mom again?" Seth walks over to the bed and sits down.

"I know I've never been the greatest mother. Between being wanted by the feds and moving you all over the country, I've probably been more like the worst. But I'm asking you for another chance. Please, Seth." She steps towards her son, who gets up off of the bed and backs away from her. "Are you ever going to forgive me?"

Seth crosses his arms over his chest and studies his feet. "Let's just take go slow, ok?"

"Whatever you want. I'm not going to run away again."

* * *

Kirsten wakes up early the next morning, intending on checking on Seth. Entering the kitchen, she sees that she's already been beaten to punch by his mother. Rebecca is currently standing at the counter, waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. She looks up and sees Kirsten standing in the doorway.

"Thanks so much for letting me stay here last night. I'll probably stay at the motel from now on. I don't want to risk you or your family's safety by staying here." The coffee finishes brewing and Rebecca pours out two cups.

"So…Rebecca. How long do you plan on staying?"

"I'm not here for your husband, Kirsten. That was a long time ago and he's got his own family now, just like I have mine." She looks out at the pool house. "No matter how broken it is."

"It's not that. He and Ryan have become really good friends over the past week and I don't want them to lose that. And he's so smart. He's got a real chance at college if he stays in one spot."

"Well, hopefully with Sandy's help I'll be able to arrange that."

An awkward silence fills the room for a few minutes.

"So what do you have planned for today?"

"I was hoping to spend some time with my son. At the motel obviously. Sandy said that the earliest he would be able to get in touch with anyone at the FBI would be Monday, so it's just a waiting game until then."

"Well if you guys want to go anywhere, Seth knows where the keys are. Just let me know if you're taking off." She looks embarrassed. "Well, not taking off. Just going…anywhere. Yeah, I'm going to go back upstairs."

* * *

Ryan is upstairs changing into his suit and tying his neck tie, Sandy standing behind him, tying his own tie.

"So is Seth coming back to change?"

"He was spending the day with Rebecca. He's got the Rover and he said he'd meet us there."

"So, aren't you worried about her taking off again? I mean, she did it once already, what's to keep her from doing it again?" Ryan tightens up the knot on his tie and steps back from the mirror to admire his work.

"Well, I think that she really wants to put all of this behind her. She's willing to do whatever it takes to make things right with her and Seth, and that is what's important." He claps his son on the shoulder. "He's still going to be around, Ryan. You're not going to lose him as a friend. That I promise. Now are you ready to go throw some dice for charity?"

_Vegas Night_

The Cohens walk in the door to the country club and see Seth dressed in his suit. Sandy walks over and shakes his hand.

"Looking good, kid. That whole look really 'suits' you," he says with a smile.

Seth snorts out a laugh. "Do the other members of your family appreciate your unique sense of humor?"

"I don't think those Gentiles get it. Don't get me wrong, I love my wife and son more than life itself. They just don't have a sense of humor."

"I heard that, Sandy." Kirsten walks over and puts her arm through her husband's. "I do too have as sense of humor."

Sandy kisses her on the forehead and walks her into the makeshift casino.

"So, how's your mom," Ryan asks as they walk in themselves. "Everything working out between you two?"

"Yeah, I think so. She's actually going to give your dad a chance to work everything out. She doesn't think she's going to have to do any jail time, which would be nice. Maybe we can end up getting a place out here? In the numbered streets of course." Seth smiles. "This could really work out, man."

"Well, I'm happy for you. Now, I think you've got a date." Ryan points over to Summer, who is currently trying her hand at the craps table. "Go get her."

Seth tells Ryan he'll see him later and heads in the direction of the craps table. "Hey Summer."

Summer turns around at the sound of Seth's voice and gives him a hug. "Hey! Ryan told me about what happened in juvie. Are you okay?" She looks for any obvious signs of injury on his body.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He didn't hit any organs or any major blood vessels. I only lost a little blood so, once the doctors stitched me back up, they said I would be ok. Although, Ryan and I are blood brothers now. Apparently, we're both O negative, which was extremely convenient."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Summer passes the dice off and they head towards a quieter area of the club to talk. They find a couple of chairs in the corner and sit down to talk.

* * *

Rebecca hears a knocking at the door of the motel room and gets up off of the bed to get it. "Seth, I thought you were at that casino thing. What are you doing back already?" She opens the door to see an unfamiliar face. "Who are you?"

"Oh, my name is Zach. I'm a friend of your son's. I came over because I thought you might be interested in some information I have. Information concerning you. And your son."

"I don't know what you're talking about, young man, but you don't seem like someone that my son would be friends with. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Rebecca attempts to shut the door, only to have it stopped by Zach.

"Look, lady, I really don't have the time to grow through all this crap. You've got until tomorrow morning to take your son and get the fuck out of here before I call the feds and tell them where you're staying." He let's go of the door and starts to walk away. He turns back and delivers a parting remark. "I hope you enjoyed Newport."

Rebecca shuts the door, sits down on her bed and begins to cry.

_Next morning_

"Morning, boys," Kirsten says as she enters the kitchen. Seth and Ryan are sitting at the counter, enjoying cereal. "Did you guys have fun last night?"

"Yeah, I had a pretty good talk with Summer last night. I told her about my mom being back and that she wanted to stay in the area. I think she's pretty cool with me hanging around."

"Seth, you know that she could be considered an accomplice, right?"

"Don't worry, I didn't tell her that she was wanted by the feds. Speaking of, can I borrow the car? I was going to go have breakfast with my mom. I figured I'd pick up some pancakes from the diner and take them over to her."

"Why don't I just go get her and bring her over for breakfast? Don't worry, I won't cook," she says at Ryan's wide eyed look.

"Yeah, sure. Ryan and I can take care of the flapjacks, right?" He points at Ryan. Ryan smiles. Seth turns back to Kirsten. "Thanks, by the way."

"Not a problem. I'll be back in a bit."

* * *

"Hey, Rebecca! Are you decent? I thought maybe you could come over for breakfast." Kirsten opens the door and sees Rebecca packing up her suitcase.

"So, you caught me." Rebecca sits down on the bed.

"You can't do this. You're his mother."

Rebecca laughs sarcastically. "I'm a fugitive, not a mother."

"You have a responsibility!"

"I am being responsible. Someone came by last night. The feds know where I am."

"Sandy can help you; you just have to give him a chance."

"I can't keep taking him with me. I have to give him a chance at a normal life, a normal family. That's not something I can give him. You can. I've seen the way Sandy looks at you, your son looks at you, even Seth; like no matter what, you're going to make everything ok. You hold your family together; I tear mine apart."

"You can't run away again."

"Why not? This'll be the first good thing I've ever done for him. This way he ends up with a real mother." Rebecca stands up and grabs her suitcase. She wipes away a tear and walks out the door. Kirsten follows her to the waiting taxi in front of the motel. Rebecca puts her bag in the trunk and turns back to Kirsten. "Take care of him, ok? He deserves it." She gets in the taxi and it drives away.

_At the Cohens'_

Kirsten walks back in to the house and sits down on the couch in the living room, trying to decide how to break the news to Seth.

"Hey, where's my mom," Seth asks, walking in from the kitchen. He sees the look on Kirsten's face. "She's gone, isn't she?"

Kirsten walks over and holds the boy in a hug. "Someone found out she was here and she knew that she couldn't stay. She still loves you and she thought that this would be best for you." She pulls him into the kitchen, where Sandy and Ryan are preparing breakfast.

"Hey, where's-", Ryan begins, but stops at a glare from his mother.

"Seth's going to stay with us now," Kirsten announces to the other members of their suddenly larger family.

"Yeah, juvie has this exchange-only policy after the product is opened. Seeing as how my model has been discontinued…"

"Alright. Come on, man. Let's go call Luke, see what he's up to," Ryan says.

Seth starts to follow Ryan upstairs, but stops and turns back to Sandy and Kirsten. "So, I guess the hotel analogy doesn't really apply anymore, does it?" He turns back around and follows Ryan up to his room.

"He's right, you know," Sandy says to his wife. "The no return policy is now in effect."

Kirsten kisses Sandy. "Well, it's a good thing I got the warranty then."

* * *

A/N: Wow that was a pretty long one. Sorry about the lack of interaction between the couples, but I thought it was more important that you get a good feel for Seth and Rebecca's relationship. I know Zach's family's connections were a little bit over the top, but I had to embellish a little bit. Sorry for that. All mistakes are mine, no intellectual infringement intended to Josh Schwartz or any of the other writers, blah blah blah. Random fact of the chapter: A Bellini (the drink Kirsten serves at her Newpsie luncheon) is a cocktail that originated in Italy. It is a mixture of sparkling wine and peach purée often served at celebrations. Please Review! AZ


	4. The Debs

Sandy and Kirsten walk into the living room to see Luke and Ryan wrestling on the carpet, Seth officiating.

"Excuse me boys," Kirsten interrupts. "Luke, Ryan, we need to talk to Seth for a minute." The two boys share a look and go upstairs to Ryan's room.

Seth notices the serious looks on their faces and their business attire. "What's wrong? Somebody die?"

Sandy shakes his head. "No, of course not. It's just…well, Kirsten and I went to Child Services this morning and we told them we want you to stay with us. But," he adds at Seth's hopeful look, "there's a catch. Because you're a minor, the only way they're going to allow that to happen is if we assume all legal responsibility for you."

"I get it. With all the trouble I've caused since I've been here, I can understand why you wouldn't be willing to do that."

"Oh, kid. We _want_ to have you here. We're asking you if _you_ want to be here." Sandy says, turning to Kirsten.

"We've all talked about it. And we want to be your legal guardians. We want you to be part of the family. If you want to be."

"Well, what if it doesn't work," Seth asks, looking back and forth between his prospective guardians. "What if something happens and you two change your minds?"

"Like what? You get caught with pot? You burn down a house? You get in a fight with the captain of the water polo team?" Sandy snorts out a laugh. "Those ships have sailed my friend."

"You just have to promise us that you'll stay out of trouble. No more pot."

"You're still on probation and Child Services will be up our ass all the time."

"No more trouble, I promise." Seth smiles at them.

Kirsten and Sandy smile at each other.

"Well," Sandy says, standing up and shaking hands with the newest Cohen, "welcome to the family."

"Thanks guys."

Kirsten pulls him into a hug. "Now you can go find Ryan and Luke and share the good news." She releases him and Seth runs upstairs to tell Ryan.

* * *

"So I really feel like we just came from here," Seth says as they pull up to the country club.

"That's because we did. Vegas Night was last Saturday, remember," Ryan tells Seth.

"Why are we coming back so soon? Do we have to take the stuff down?"

"No Seth. That's what the help is for," Kirsten says, stepping out of the Rover. "This week is the annual Debutante Ball. It's Newport's biggest event."

"For the girls, it is. For us…"

"For us," Luke finishes for Ryan, "it's an excuse to get crunk!"

"Luke…" Kirsten warns.

"Just kidding, Mrs. Cohen."

"It's the day when Newport's most accomplished young women make their formal debut into society. I was a deb. I made my debut at this very country club not so many years ago."

"So what are _we_ doing here?"

"You boys are going to be the escorts. And for that you'll need tuxedos."

Kirsten greets the host and Seth mouths the word 'tuxedos' at Ryan with a questioning look. Ryan just shrugs his shoulders.

"Thank you. Come on, boys. It'll be fun." Kirsten leads them to the fitting area in the back of the country club. They walk into the fitting area and see Marissa and Taylor picking up garment bags, most likely containing their dresses. Ryan and Luke walk over to greet their girlfriends, closely followed by Kirsten and Seth.

"Marissa. I was going to call you. Since you're lead deb, I thought you would know if any of your girls need a last minute escort." Seth waves at Marissa.

Marissa and Taylor share a look. "Oh, I think we might be able to think of someone."

"Hi. Uhm. I'm picking up for Summer Roberts?" Summer taps her foot impatiently, waiting for the tailor to bring the garment bag containing her dress. She looks over in Seth's direction and, catching his eye, smiles at him. Seth smiles back at her.

Marissa and Taylor catch this exchange. They grab the garment bag being offered to a dazed Summer by the tailor, and drag her into the changing room to 'try it on.'

"Come on, Corona," Luke says, throwing his arm around Seth's shoulder, "let's go get some fresh air." He and Ryan drag a protesting Seth outside.

_The girls_

Summer is sliding on the dress that she chose, Marissa and Taylor sitting on the chairs near her.

"So, Sum, is Zach still going to be your escort," Marissa asks her friend.

"Hell no, Coop! After that shit that he pulled at the model home? Not to mention that, somehow, the FBI found out where his mom was hiding. The only person that could have found that out would have had to have some serious political connections or money, or both."

"Oh my," Taylor says. "Do you think that Zach would really do something that terrible?"

"Who knows," Summer says, sliding on her white gloves. "There's no proof of anything seeing as how his mom left. I'm done with him." She pulls off the white gloves. "Eww, these gloves are giving me serious sausage arms."

"So what are you going to do about cotillion, Summer? You can't go without an escort!"

"I don't know, I may not even go." Summer sits down on the empty chair next to her friends.

"You have to go, Sum." Marissa looks over at Taylor, who nods. "Besides, we have a date all lined up for you."

"I'm not going with some charity case loser, Coop."

"Summer, this isn't a charity case. You're going with Seth."

_The guys_

"So, Corona, what is up with you and Summer?"

Seth lets out a huff and leans against the rail. The boys are outside the country club, looking out over the ocean. "I don't know. I think maybe she likes me, but we haven't really talked since the Vegas Night debacle. I've kinda had other stuff to worry about the past few days."

"Dude, you can't use big words like 'debacle' around Luke. They make him nervous."

"Just because I don't understand what you're saying Cohen, doesn't mean I can't tell you're insulting me."

"Sorry buddy. So back to Seth and Summer. How do we get them together," Ryan asks Luke.

"You know, I think we could probably put in a word with Marissa and Taylor," Luke suggests. "That is, if they're not already in there talking about you."

"Why would they…Oh, I get it."

Ryan gives him a look. "Not really much of a ladies' man in Corona, were you?"

Seth looks offended. "Hey! I had some cute girlfriends. A _couple_ cute girls. One major one really. Ok, there was this girl I kinda stalked for awhile and that was pretty much it."

"Enough with the rambling, bro. I get enough of that from Taylor."

"Dude, that girl will totally talk your ear off if you let her," Luke says, laughing.

"So what is the story with you five," Seth asks. "How'd you all end up together, or not together, as in Ryan and Marissa's case?"

"Well," Ryan begins, "you already know about Marissa and me. I met Luke in 2nd grade. Our dad's were trying to teach us how to surf."

"Cohen sucked by the way," Luke interrupts.

"Anyway, we've been hanging out since. Luke met Marissa through me and, one make-out session in the back of the bus on the way to the museum of tolerance later, they were dating."

"Cohen here met General Townsend that same trip. I seem to remember a make-out session of their own," Luke says, smiling at a blushing Ryan.

"I don't get it. Why do you call her 'General' Townsend?"

"Because she co-chair's the social committee with Marissa," Luke says. "Between the 'General' and 'Commandant' Cooper, I think they could probably convince any student at school to do anything they want."

"They're bulldozers," Ryan adds. "They get pretty much everything they want."

"Including you two, I would imagine. So what's Summer's story? I mean, I know she has been friends with Marissa and Taylor for forever, but how'd that happen?"

"Maybe you should ask her yourself. At cotillion."

"Wait, what?"

_The girls_

"Well, I guess he's kind of cute. I mean, I dig the whole nice guy thing. He's kind of a gentleman, and I've never really dated one of those guys before."

"No offense Sum, but you're taste in men is pretty terrible. You've always kind of leaned towards the empty-brained jock than someone that would actually treat you right."

"Coop! You biatch," Summer says, laughing.

"She is kind of right, Summer. I mean, just look at the latest. He may have been a senator's son, but he was an idiot. Apple fell pretty far from the tree on that one." Taylor hangs Summer's dress up against the mirror and sits back down.

"Well, I admit that Zach was a serious mistake," Summer says, joining her two friends. "But he was cute and tan. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Put him to sleep," Marissa grumbles. At Taylor and Summer's open mouthed stare, "Only kidding. Kind of."

"Well, I don't know too much about Seth, but he seems pretty smart and very funny, both of which I know you enjoy." Summer looks confused so Taylor elaborates. "We all know that you seriously crushed on that cute smart kid in the 6th grade. Marissa and I both felt for you when he moved away the next year."

"Awww thanks you two." Summer hugs her two girls. "You're the best friends ever."

"So, Sum, what are you going to do about Seth? I'm sure the boys are out there trying to pump him up and get him to ask if he can escort you to cotillion, but this might be something you have to take care of yourself."

"Yeah Summer. He doesn't really seem like the type to declare his intentions towards you in a public setting."

"Says you Townsend. We got to talk a little at the country club for Vegas Night and I got to know a little bit about him. He _is_ a little sarcastic, but he just uses that to keep people away. It's like a defense mechanism I guess," Summer says with a shrug. "He moved so much when he was a kid that he was always new. Nobody ever really noticed him so he got attention by getting smart with people. Poor kid got beat up a lot but I guess bad attention is better than no attention. Sorry Tay," she says to her auburn haired friend.

"Well, it's no secret that my mother is a little impersonal, but, Summer, you sound like you've already got a thing for him!"

"No way," Summer yells. "I mean, yeah, he is pretty cute and interesting to talk to and kinda funny, but he's from Corona. Eww."

"Uh oh, Tay. Our little girls in love," Marissa says in a sing-song voice.

"I know, Cooper! I can feel the heat over here." Taylor fans her face with her hand.

Summer holds up a small fist. "That's because I'm about to light your hair on fire Townsend!" She drops her fist, realizing that she just threatened to burn her friend's hair off. "Sorry Tay."

"Rage blackouts, I know. It's ok. I love you anyway."

Coop stands up and grabs the garment bag containing Summer's dress. "Let's go find those boys before they scare away Seth." The girls walk out to meet their boys, who are currently sifting through the different tuxedo racks. Marissa hands Summer her dress and taps Luke on the shoulder. "You still haven't picked out your tuxes yet?"

Luke kisses her on the cheek in greeting. "I've got mine." He motions to the tailor, who is currently putting his choice in a bag. "Pretty boy Cohen over there is still looking."

"Well let's go then. We'll see them at the rehearsal tomorrow." Marissa waves at her friends and leads Luke out of the country club.

Taylor walks over to Ryan. "So why haven't you picked out your tuxedo yet?"

"We were talking."

"Uh huh. You mean Seth and Luke we're talking? Let's go over there and look at the Armani tuxedos. I love you in Armani."

"You love me _out_ of Armani," Ryan tells her and kisses her on the forehead.

"Can I talk to you for a second," Summer asks Seth. He nods and they move toward an empty corner.

"Be nice to him, Roberts," Ryan warns.

"Trouser it, Cohen."

"So…Seth…" Summer slides up close to him. "I don't have a date to the cotillion. Would you be my escort?"

"I…well…I mean, uh…" Seth stammers.

"Great," Summer says and kisses him on the cheek. "Looking forward to it." She walks off.

"Cotillion rocks," Seth says to himself as he watches Summer walk away.

* * *

Summer is walking out of the country club when she is stopped by a hand grabbing her arm. "Zach. What the hell do you want?"

"I just wanted to apologize to you directly, for-"

"For what, jackass? For beating up Seth at the model home on my birthday? For ratting out his mom to the feds?" Summer punches him in the shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I really am. I just want everything to go back to normal. Can we start with cotillion?" Zach moves close to Summer, intending to hug her, but she pushes him away.

"There is no way in hell that I am making my debut into Newport society with an arrogant, ignorant, self-centered asshole for an escort."

"What are you talking about? You can't make your debut without an escort," Zach says, smug smile on his face.

"I already have an escort. Now leave me alone." Summer walks away but is stopped by Zach painfully grabbing her arm. "Ouch! Let me go!"

"Who's your escort? Is it that fucker from Corona?" Zach squeezes her arm harder.

"Stop, Zach! That really hurts!"

"Is there a problem here," Ryan asks as he walks up to Zach and Summer.

"Fuck off, Cohen. This doesn't concern you."

"Actually, that's one of my friends you're hurting. So, yes, this does concern me. Now let her go."

"Or what?"

"Or this time, I try lighting you on fire," Seth says as he joins Ryan.

"Boys! What's going on?" Zach drops Summer's arm at the sound of Kirsten Cohen's voice. Kirsten joins her two boys, looking concerned.

"Oh nothing, Mrs. Cohen. I was just checking to see if Summer had a ride home." Zach puts on his best plastic Newport smile.

"Actually," Seth says, "she's good. We're dropping her off at her place, right Summer?"

"Right. Thanks." She rubs her arm where Zach had painfully yanked on it and follows the Cohens to their vehicle.

Zach watches them walk off, fuming.

"That's too bad. My sister always did know how to ruin a moment."

"Lindsey Nichol. What the fuck do you want?"

The redhead walks from her position behind Zach to face him. "Well, I couldn't help but overhear Summer Roberts turn down your offer to escort her to cotillion. Instead, she's going with that little nerd my sister and her family took in. That must have really hurt your…" staring down between his legs "pride."

"Is there a point to this conversation or are you just going to keep insulting me?"

"Marissa Cooper couldn't be bothered to get anyone besides her friend an escort. Not that I want her help any way. So now I need an escort to cotillion as well. Going with a senator's son would do wonders for my social life. Add in that I would be getting an opportunity to one-up those three little bitches my sister loves so much and it sounds like the perfect night to me."

"Well what do I get out of it," Zach asks her.

"You mean besides an opportunity to attend cotillion? Well, I'm sure my father, Caleb Nichol, would be willing to provide you with some form of compensation for your time. I might be able to think of a few ways to say 'thank you' as well." She starts to slowly stroke him through his jeans.

Zach considers it for a few seconds. It would give him a chance to show up with the youngest daughter of the King of Newport. He could always ditch her when Summer regains her senses. And even if she doesn't, he thinks to himself, Lindsey had shown that she was willing to 'take care' of him.

"I'll see you at rehearsal."

_The ride to Summer's_

Kirsten and Summer are in the front seats of the Range Rover, talking cotillion things, while Seth and Ryan are in the back seats. As the women talk about Summer's dress, Seth is asking Ryan about his own worries for the evening.

"So am I going to have any time to actually dance at this thing or am I going to be watching my back all night," Seth quietly asks Ryan.

"Probably not," Ryan whispers back. "Zach probably won't be there anymore since he's not escorting anyone. Nordlund and Saunders will be, but they won't do anything stupid without their leader there."

The car pulls up to Summer's house and she turns from the front seat to face the boys. "Thanks for the help today, you two. Seth, would you like to walk me to my door?"

Seth begins to stutter until Ryan smack him upside the head. "Yeah. Sure. Of course." He follows her out of the vehicle and walks with her up to her stoop.

"Thanks for trying to protect me today. That was pretty brave of you." Seth nods his head and she continues. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?" She kisses him on the lips and walks inside, shutting the door. Seth remains rooted to the spot for a few seconds before Ryan yells at him.

"Hey, lover boy. You gonna be okay?"

"Just come help me to the car before I pass out on her doorstep."

* * *

The next morning, Kirsten opens the door to see Luke, Marissa, Taylor, and Summer standing on the stoop.

"Hey Luke, girls. Come on in. Ryan and Seth are getting their jackets. They'll be down in a second."

"Actually, Mrs. Cohen, I need to talk to the guys for a minute. Are they up in Ryan's room?"

"Yeah, go ahead and go up Luke." Luke goes up the stairs.

"Actually, we need to talk to you about something too, Keeks."

"Taylor, if this is about me catching you with my son out in the pool house, I've already said my piece on the matter. As long as you're using protection and I don't catch you, as far as I'm concerned it isn't happening."

Taylor turns bright red and starts stammering. Summer and Marissa are both laughing.

"Actually, Kirsten, this is about something else," Marissa says, trying to stop laughing. "But I'm really glad that I heard that because now Sum and I have something to tease Ryan about."

Kirsten looks apologetic. "Sorry Taylor. And tell my son sorry for me when these girls start giving him grief. If you want, I've got some stories about Marissa, from when she was younger, that I could share?"

Marissa pales a little. "Okay, I think that's enough of that. It's actually kind of important that we talk to you. It has to do with cotillion."

"Oh, I hope you girls aren't leaving my boys out to dry. Seth especially is looking forward to it since Summer asked him to be her escort," Kirsten says smiling.

Summer joins Taylor in turning an embarrassed shade of red. "We've been looking forward to cotillion since we were eight, Mrs. C. There's no way that we're not going. This is actually about your sister, Lindsey."

_Upstairs_

"I'm not going," Seth says. He sits down on Ryan's bed.

"Just because Zach is going doesn't mean you can't go, man," Luke explains. "Matter of fact, you pretty much have to go. Summer kept saying the entire ride over here how happy she was to have a date to cotillion. She'd probably kill you if you ditched on her. The girls have to been looking forward to this since they were little."

"Yeah, I've heard of these infamous rage blackouts," Seth says. "So she said she was excited to go with me, huh? I can't blame her. I am pretty good with the ladies."

"Way to go," Ryan tells Luke. "Like he needs a bigger ego." He turns to Seth. "Look, Zach won't be stupid enough to start shit while we're at rehearsal or cotillion. The only place he'd try anything at would be at Holly's place for the pre-cotillion barbeque, and we can just skip that."

"We got your back, dog." Luke gives him a knuckle tap.

"Thanks man," Seth says, rubbing his knuckles. "Hey, why don't we something here? I mean, I know we won't be able to drink, but we can do a little night swimming, maybe chill with the ladies. I can throw something on the grill."

"You can barbeque? No offense Corona, but you don't really seem like the cooking type."

"Trust me, man. If there is anything we Jews know better than long treks through the desert and self-pity, it's how to cook the meat of a dead animal."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ryan says, looking confused.

"I know, just go with it."

Luke shakes his head. "Man, you two were born to be brothers. So you think your folks will go for it?"

"Only one way to find out." Ryan stands, grabs his jacket, and the other two boys follow him down the stairs. They hear Sandy and Kirsten talking to the girls in the kitchen and head that way. Sandy sees them walk in.

"So I'm sure you guys were upstairs talking about what we were discussing down here?"

"Yeah. We've got a plan to stay away from Zach," Seth says.

"And don't worry about him being there with Lindsey," Kirsten says, trying to help Seth out. "It helps Ryan to think of her as more of a cousin than an aunt, since they're so close to the same age."

"Who's Lindsey," Seth asks, looking confused.

"Ryan, you didn't tell him about my sister?"

"I wasn't really sure how to bring up the subject." Ryan shrugs.

Everybody groans and grabs a seat at the counter as Sandy begins to try and explain their convoluted family history. "Obviously, everybody here has heard this story before, but it looks like we'll have an audience."

Marissa whispers in Seth's ear, "If you think of it as an episode of Jerry Springer, it helps."

"I heard that young lady," Kirsten says as she pours herself a tall glass of wine.

"Oh honey, she's right. This is straight out of white trash television."

"Get on with the story, Sandy."

"Well, it all started when Lindsey and her mother moved here in the 4th grade…"

_Fifteen minutes later_

"Wow."

Marissa pats Seth on the shoulder. "That's what I said."

"And if I know Dad, then he's probably in ecstasy that his baby girl is attending cotillion on the arm of a senator's son." Kirsten looks over at the tiny brunette in at the counter. "Sorry Summer."

"It's ok Mrs. C. I'm totally over that asshat." She smiles at Seth, who almost falls off of his stool. Nobody seems to notice.

"I've told you before sweetie, you can call me Kirsten. And don't say asshat." Kirsten sips her wine.

"So since we're trying to avoid Zach, is it okay if we skip out on Holly's party and just hang out here," Seth asks hopefully. "We could do a little swimming, cook a little food?"

"Well, I don't see why not. Kirsten and I have dinner reservations but we trust you guys. Just don't burn down the house," Sandy says with a smile.

"Funny," Seth says.

"You boys better get going if you want to get to rehearsal on time." Kirsten throws them the keys to the Rover and they head out.

_At rehearsal_

Rehearsal goes fine, except for the glares passed between Zach's group and the other three boys. The girls even got in on it, whispering foul names at each other when nobody was looking. As soon as the dancing ends and they are dismissed, Ryan, Luke, and Seth grab the girls and make their way to the parking lot, trying to avoid any incidents. Reaching the door, they see they've already been beaten there by Zach and his idiots.

"Come on Stephens, let us out. We know you're not going to do anything stupid with all the adults around here."

"Look around Ward. You see any adults?"

Luke looks around the hallway, which is indeed empty.

"Seth, take the girls and get out of here," Ryan growls.

Zach holds his hands up. "No need to do anything rash guys. In fact, I came with a peace offering. Hand over the geek and I'll let you back on the team, no retribution or anything. You just take the girls and walk away. What do you say?"

"I say go fuck yourself," Marissa says, spitting at Zach.

"You better get a handle on your bitch, Ward, or I'll let my people handle her for you." Chip and Doug check Marissa out, licking their lips.

"I'm gonna fucking kill them," Luke yells, launching himself at Zach. Seth and Ryan catch him and hold him back.

"Now's not the time man," Ryan says in his ear. "Soon, but not now." He turns back to Zach. "We're out of here. As for your offer? You've got a better chance getting Nordlund and Saunders to stop blowing each other than getting us to take you up on your deal. See you at cotillion." The three boys grab their girls and leave the country club. Ryan fishes in his pocket for the keys to the Rover. He hands them to Taylor, who looks confused. "Why don't you take the car and Marissa and Summer and go get your swim stuff. Luke, Seth, and I will start setting up for tonight." He kisses her on the forehead and follows Luke to his truck.

_At the Cohens'_

"Alright boys, we're leaving for dinner. We've got our cell phones so if you need anything, call us."

"Thanks, Sandy," Seth says, flipping the chicken. "You think you can pick us up a case of beer before you go?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Really," Luke asks, looking up.

"Yeah, sure! It may take me about five years to get it back home, but you'll get it. And I'm going to need cash up front. Fifty bucks." Sandy holds out his hand.

"Mom," Ryan yells.

"You boys deserved that one," Kirsten says as she comes out the door.

"Get out of here, you two."

Ryan's parents take off for dinner.

"What about our dinner, Corona? I'm getting hungry."

"Chicken's done, steaks will be ready in a second."

Seth finishes grilling and places the meat in front of the waiting teens. Everyone eats their fill and they all retire to the living room to watch a movie. They eventually fall asleep, Taylor in Ryan's arms, Marissa in Luke's, leaving only Seth and Summer awake. He motions to her and she nods and follows him out to the patio. They sit down on a lounge chair and Seth pulls out his Altoids tin.

"Wanna burn?"

"Sure."

Seth lights up, takes a few hits and passes the joint to Summer. She takes a drag and starts coughing. Seth begins to laugh.

"Not…funny…ass," she says around coughs.

"Sorry."

Summer stops coughing but shakes her head when Seth offers it back to her.

"So why is it that you smoke?"

Seth thinks for a minute. "My mom actually got me on it. She said I was too neurotic and high strung. That the weed would help me out."

"Did it?"

"No." Seth laughs. "I was 12. I think I was just being a kid, trying to get my mom's attention."

"That's totally screwed up!"

"Yeah, well this is it anyway. The Cohens are giving me a really good chance here and I don't want to mess it up, which means no more smoking. Won't be too difficult seeing as how the crap they sell here is barely pot anyway." He puts out the joint and throws it away.

"Well, I wouldn't know. That was kinda my first time. And probably last."

"We'll quit together then. Deal?"

"Deal."

They lean back on the lounge chair, talking and staring at the stairs, until they too fall asleep.

_Later_

Sandy and Kirsten arrive back to a darkened house, but see the TV on as they walk in. They walk in to investigate and see Taylor asleep on Ryan's chest and Marissa cuddled up with Luke on the floor. They look around for Seth and Summer, not finding them. Kirsten taps Sandy on the shoulder and points out to the pool area, where they can see two bodies, huddled close together on a pool chair.

"What do you want to do," Kirsten asks her husband.

"Let's let them sleep. We'll get them up in the morning for breakfast and send them home to get ready." He turns the TV off and follows his wife upstairs.

"At least they were wearing clothes this time," Kirsten says.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't see it."

* * *

"Wake up buddy." Ryan tries to shake his adoptive brother awake and is greeted with a grunt. "I have coffee." He waves the cup in front of his nose.

Seth sits up. "Contrary to popular belief, bribery _will_ get you everywhere." He takes the cup and looks over to the empty spot next to him. "Where'd Summer go?"

"Mom came down earlier, got the girls up, and took them home. I guess they had to do their hair and their nails. Get up and we'll go get some breakfast at the diner. We haven't had any Seth/Ryan time in awhile."

"Seth/Ryan time. I like it. You just come up with that?"

Ryan smiles and shrugs.

_Diner_

"So you excited about cotillion with Summer?"

Seth takes a drink of his coffee. "I'm still a little worried about Zach but I'm more focused on seeing Summer tonight."

"So are you falling for her?" He passes Seth a platter containing pancakes and waffles.

"Maybe I am. I haven't known her for that long, but we just work together really well."

"What did you guys end up doing outside?"

Seth takes a massive bite of pancake and chases it with a drink of coffee. "We were just talking about things, kind of learning about each other I guess you could say. I've never met someone that I could talk to for that long." Ryan raises his eyebrows. "You don't really talk all that much, buddy," Seth clarifies. He lifts his mug up to take another drink but sets it back down. "How did you know we slept outside anyway?"

"You mean besides the fact that I woke Summer up and brought you coffee this morning?"

"Good point. I'm still gradually waking up."

They finish eating, Ryan leaves the tip, and they head back to the house to get ready.

_The Salon_

"So we just ended up laying there on the chair, looking up at the stars until we fell asleep."

The girls are currently getting their eyebrows waxed, hair done, and fingernails and toenails painted simultaneously, in preparation for cotillion.

"That is so romantic," Taylor crows.

"We just connected on this really basic level. Is that what it was like for you guys," she asks her friends.

"Well, with Luke and I, it just seems…right when we're together. Like we're supposed to be together. Two pieces of a puzzle. It's hard to explain I guess," Marissa says to Summer and shrugs her shoulders.

"Ryan and I are kind of the same. With us, there's this spark that connects us. I can feel it whenever I'm with him and it just draws us together, like magnets. It's hard to-"

"Explain, I get it," Summer finishes. "So how will I know that's what it is for me?"

"You already do Sum."

"What are you talking about, Coop?"

"She means that you're already falling for him," Taylor clarifies. "Somewhere in your heart, you've already decided that you like him and you want to see where it will go."

"And listening to your heart is the first step on the road to love," Marissa contributes.

"Coop, that's beautiful! Did you just make that up?"

"I wish. I think I read it on a Valentine's Day card from Luke."

"Coop!" "Cooper!"

The girls laugh.

"So why are getting our nails done if we're wearing gloves," Summer asks.

"Because our parents are paying for it," Marissa offers.

"Good reason."

* * *

Luke, Seth, and Ryan step out of the changing room, adjusting their bow ties and straightening their tuxes.

Luke high fives Ryan. "Dude, we totally look like pimps in these things!"

Seth looks at his glove covered hands. "I have to say it: white gloves. Ready for a comeback."

"I feel like Fred Astaire," Ryan says. He sees Luke's confused look. "I'll explain later."

The girls walk in right then, taking the boys' breath away.

"There's my Ginger Rogers," Ryan says and gives Taylor a kiss.

"So I guess that means we're going to be lighting up the dance floor, huh," Taylor says with a smile. She looks over and motions Ryan to do the same. They see Luke and Marissa making out. "Cooper, stop it. You'll mess up your make up."

They stop and Marissa playfully slaps Luke on the shoulder. "Yeah, stop. You'll mess up my make up."

"It's just my way of telling you that you look beautiful." They begin to make out again.

Ryan just shrugs and points over to Seth, who is currently trying to stumble his way through a compliment to Summer.

"Wow. You…look…just. I mean…wow. Your hair is…" He makes some strange motion around his head. "And your dress is…white. Awesome. My gloves are white."

"Spit it out, Seth." Summer smacks him on the back.

Seth coughs. "You look amazing. Like an angel, beautiful in white. You're gorgeous and perfect and-" He's interrupted by Summer planting a kiss on his lips.

"Trouser it, Roberts."

Summer gives Ryan the finger and breaks off the kiss. She follows Taylor and Marissa into the debutante's prep area. Seth has a dreamy look on his eyes and begins to follow Summer.

"Unh, uh buddy." Ryan grabs Seth by the shoulders and drags him out to line up. They meet up with Luke, who is already there. Luke points out a tall figure entering through the door.

"Stevens."

"I'll kill him," Seth says.

Zach sees the three boys standing in line, staring at him with violence in their eyes. Instead of making his way in their direction, he heads towards a group of parents.

"Mr. Fisher? I'm Zach Stevens, a friend of your daughter's." Zach holds out his hand, which Greg Fisher takes.

"I know of you. Your father is a senator, right? What can I do for you?"

"Well I know that Jimmy Cooper handles your investments for you-"

Greg looks confused. "How do you know that?"

"-and I thought that you might want to see this. Apparently the SEC has been investigating Mr. Cooper for fraud."

"Young man, I don't know how you got this but…Wait, did you say fraud?" Greg begins looking around the ballroom, presumably for Jimmy Cooper.

Zach removes an envelope from his tuxedo breast pocket and hands it to Greg, who takes it in a daze.

* * *

"Taylor Townsend, daughter of William and Veronica Townsend." Taylor joins her father in the stage and loops her arm through his. Ryan walks up to them, bows and escorts Taylor down to the dance floor.

"Lindsey Nichol, daughter of Caleb Nichol." Zach repeats the process Ryan just completed, escorting Caleb Nichol's youngest daughter to the ballroom floor.

"Summer Roberts, daughter of Neil and Linda Roberts." Seth bows to a smiling Summer, Dr. Roberts gives a disapproving glare, and Summer takes Seth's arm as she is led down to join the other couples.

"Marissa Cooper, daughter of James and Julie Cooper." Marissa, being lead debutante, is introduced last and is escorted by Luke to join their friends.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating this year's debutantes." Peggy leads all of the adults present in a loud round of applause. The music begins and the couples begin to dance.

_Ryan & Taylor_

"It was pretty cool of your dad to come out here for your debutante ball."

"Yeah, it was," Taylor says with a smile. "Ever since Kirsten talked me into getting back in touch with him, we've been getting along really well."

Ryan looks troubled. "I don't have to worry about losing you to your dad, do I?"

Taylor shakes her head and smiles. "That part of my life is over, Ryan. He has another family now. I'm still his daughter, but I belong here, with you."

"So you're all mine then?"

"For better or worse."

"Hopefully better. Let's light this dance floor on fire then." Ryan turns Taylor into a spin.

_Seth & Summer_

"Well my dad was really interested to know how I ended up with a felon instead of a politician's son for my escort to my debutante ball."

"Technically, I'm not a really a felon. I'm more of a misdemeanor-or. Misdemeanorie? Misdemeaneer?"

"Ouch!" Summer hits him in the chest. "Try and focus. You're missing your steps and hitting mine."

"Sorry, I'm not very light on my feet. So, back to your dad, he's not as bad as your ex, is he?" Seth looks a little worried.

"No, he's much worse. He actually cares about me." She looks over and sees that all of the color has drained from her escort's face. "Take it easy, Seth. My dad _loves_ me and I like you, so it makes sense that he will like you too. He just needs to get to know you. Now, we need to go over your cover story. I'm thinking government agent. CIA, FBI, something like that."

"How about JLA?"

_Luke & Marissa_

"Have I told you that you look amazing tonight babe?" Luke smiles as he leads her in the waltz.

"Only about 15 times. Have I told you how much I love hearing you say that?"

"My guess is about 15 times."

"Good guess. So what's on the agenda for tonight," Marissa asks her boyfriend.

"I was thinking we could have everyone over to my place. Listen to some tunes, kill some brews, what do you think?"

"I think that as long as we end up in your room, I'm fine with whatever," Marissa purrs.

"Babe," Luke says, pleading, "we're in public. You can't say stuff like that. I'm getting turned on."

Marissa gets an evil glint to her eye. "Well, you'd better hold me closer then, don't you think?"

They are interrupted by yelling coming from the direction of the tables. Marissa looks over and sees Greg Fisher in her father's face, yelling. "No, I'm not going to keep it down. That is my money! That is my retirement! My kids' tuition! You son of a bitch!" Greg punches Jimmy in face and knocks him down onto the floor. He climbs on top of him and punches him again. "You thief! You took my money!"

Sandy runs over to try to pull Greg off Jimmy and is sucker punched for his trouble. Ryan and Luke grab Greg by his arms and drag him off the floor while Seth checks on Jimmy.

_Later_

"You okay Dad?" Ryan hands him an icepack.

"Now I know why I don't get into fights anymore." Sandy holds the ice pack up to his cheek.

"What are you talking about? He sucker punched you," Kirsten says incredulously. "You didn't have to jump in like that. Defend Jimmy."

"Eh. I always had this thing for the underdog."

Kirsten smiles.

"Hey Dad? I was thinking that maybe we could all hang out at home so Marissa won't have to be alone. Is that okay?"

"That should be fine." Ryan smiles and turns away. "Oh, and son? I'm proud of you for keeping your temper in check and not punching Greg Fisher in the face, as much as he deserved it."

"Thanks Dad." Ryan walks over to where Luke and Seth are standing, coats wrapped around their dates' shoulders, bowties untied.

"Hey man. Luke's got some important info."

"What's up," Ryan asks.

Luke hands him the piece of paper he has clinched in his fist. "I found this in my jacket pocket when I was giving it to Marissa. I don't know when it got put there."

_I told you I'd have my people handle your bitch_

"Oh shit." Ryan looks worried.

"I know. Don't tell Marissa. She's already stressed enough as it is. What does Zach have to do with what happened," Luke asks, looking around.

"Let's worry about it tomorrow. For right now, let's just take the girls back to my place and try to get Marissa feeling better."

"Great idea, my friend," Seth says and points to the door. "Homeward!"

The wheels were already turning in Ryan's head, however. It would take some real money and power to get illegal information like that. There was only one person in Newport with that much wealth and influence, along with a questionable set of morals. No matter which way he cut the deck, every card came up the King of Spades: Caleb Nichol.

* * *

A/N: So I'm sorry that this one took a little longer to get out there but I was having computer issues last night when I was typing it up. It's a lot longer to make up for that. I hope that this helps establish some background for the characters in this AU. Random fact of the chapter: The Cotillion is a dance that came from France in the 1700s and was originally made up of four couples in a square formation. In the United States, Cotillion has become training that children and young adults attend to learn manners and proper social behavior in the context of formal dance. So the show wasn't _quite_ factually correct. Enjoy and please review!!

AZ


	5. The Grand Father

"So are you nervous that your grandpa is finally back in town," Seth asks Ryan. "I mean, he and Lindsey left town after cotillion, so this week has been pretty drama free." He paddles over to his friend, who is currently floating around the pool. "It's been pretty nice actually. Zach has been MIA, and we know where Lindsey has been. Summer and I have been hitting it off. I've been in a pretty good mood lately."

"Sorry to bring you down out of your 'good mood', but this weekend is Grandpa's birthday. Not really looking forward to it." Ryan rolls off of the raft and climbs out of the pool.

Seth swims over to the stairs and follows him out. "What do you mean? I thought you and your Grandpa got along great? You're like a grandparent's wet dream. You play sports, you've got those tousled good looks that they adore so much, and you look just like your mom. You're a total freakin' WASP."

"I'm not a WASP! I guess I am white, but I don't know if I'm Anglo-Saxon. In fact, I'm part Jewish, so that kinda negates the Anglo-Saxon part of me."

"Whatever you say, Waspy McWasperson."

Ryan rolls his eyes at Seth's obnoxious behavior and towels off his hair. As he removes the towel he throws it at Seth and it smacks him in the face. Ryan pushes him back in the pool, laughing. He turns to walk back into the house, and is greeted by the sight of his least favorite aunt.

"Lindsey. What an unpleasant surprise."

"Oh, what's the matter Ryan? Not happy to see me?"

Ryan just grunts in response. He pulls his shirt on and is joined by Seth. He waves at Lindsey.

"Hi, I'm-"

"-an idiot," Lindsey finishes for him.

"Well, that's not too nice." Seth scowls at her at puts his own t-shirt back on. He catches up to Ryan, who is heading in the direction of the kitchen doors. "Dude, your aunt is a bitch," he whispers in his friend's ear.

Ryan looks back and sees Lindsey heading toward the main house as well. "I know."

They walk into the house and are greeted by the sight of Caleb Nichol talking to his daughter and son-in-law. Caleb sees them enter and walks over to greet his grandson. "Ryan! How are you?" He holds out his hand, which Ryan takes in his own.

"I'm good. How was your week in Europe?"

"Amazing. Next time, you'll be going with me. Now tell me, how are things going with all your sports? Still playing water polo and soccer?"

"Well, actually," Ryan says, "I'm just going to be playing soccer this year. Long story, but I'll tell you later."

"I thought you got kicked off of the team, Ryan," Lindsey asks, with an innocent look on her face.

Ryan glares at her. "So I did. It's not a big deal. Right now Grandpa, I want you to meet my friend, Seth." He points back toward the shaggy-haired brunette hiding behind him, who walks forward and holds out his hand in greeting.

Caleb just stares at him. "You must be the druggie that burned down my model home." Seth jams his hand back in his pocket. Caleb turns back to Ryan. "Is this the reason why you were kicked off of the water polo team? Did this 'dealer' get you smoking the weed?"

Ryan almost laughs before he realizes that his grandpa is being serious. Seth doesn't get this realization, and actually does laugh. Caleb narrows his eyes at the boy.

"I don't like this kid, Ryan. You should pick your friends more wisely." Caleb walks away with a smiling Lindsey.

"Well, I think it could have gone worse," Seth says.

"Really?"

"No! That went terribly. I don't think I've ever made a worse first impression on somebody. I actually think that if we told him that I was actually a skin-head in disguise, it would have gone better."

Ryan pats him on the back. "Don't worry about it, man. He'll get to know you better and it will be ok." Internally, Ryan agreed with Seth's evaluation of the encounter and didn't think that anything could actually make it better.

* * *

"Yeah Sandy, thanks. I really appreciate everything you've done to help me out." Jimmy hangs up the phone and looks up at his wife, who is sitting on the chair in front of his desk. "So Sandy thinks that he can take care of the charges. He has a friend that's a securities attorney and he's pretty sure he can keep me out of jail. However, I'm going to have to pay everything back."

Julie looks shocked. "Everything? Jimmy, you stole over four million dollars! We don't have that kind of money. What other options do we have?"

"Well, that's just the first option," Jimmy says, rubbing his face. "We can liquidate all of our assets and start all over with nothing, as a family. The only other option we have is if we declare bankruptcy. We get to keep the house, but I go to jail. Not my favorite option. Whatever you want to do, I'll do it." He looks at Julie expectantly.

"What about divorce? Jimmy, I love you, but you broke the law. Maybe you deserve to go to jail."

Neither parent sees their daughter wipe her eyes and walk out of the front door.

Once outside, Marissa pulls her phone out of her purse and calls Taylor.

_Hey, Cooper. What's up?_

"I kinda need to talk to you. Where are you at?"

_Summer and I are at my place. Is everything ok?_

"I'm on my way over right now. We'll talk when I get there." Marissa hangs up the phone. She climbs into her car and drives over to her friend's house.

* * *

"So, these birthday festivities. We're keeping them small, right?"

Caleb is standing at the window, watching his youngest daughter float in the pool, while Seth and Ryan play video games in the pool house.

"It depends on what you mean by small, Dad." Kirsten takes a drink of her wine.

"Well, just the four of us, Lindsey."

"Right, the four of us, Lindsey, Seth, and a hundred and fifty of your closest friends," his daughter says with a smile.

"Cal, she's been working overtime on this thing; the menus, the invitations, on top of the mountain of work she's been piled under."

"Is it too much," Caleb asks his oldest.

"No, work is great. We're back on track with the new development…"

"Yeah, after that felon out there burned it down." He turns away from the window and faces his daughter and her husband, both of whom are wearing twin shocked expressions. "You didn't feel that you needed to consult me about adopting him?"

"Dad, he's not a felon. He's a good kid that got mixed up in some trouble. Why don't you get to know him? You two have so much in common: you both come from a humble background, he enjoys sailing just like you, and he's incredibly smart." Kirsten smiles at her dad. "Give him a chance Dad."

"I don't want to give him a chance, Kiki. It's obvious that I've been pushing you too hard. You don't have enough time to do your work and get to know your new 'son'. The week I spent with Lindsey traveling Europe opened my eyes. I can't stand not doing anything. I've changed my mind about leaving you in charge of the company. Starting Monday, I'll be reassuming my position as CEO of the Newport Group." Caleb takes a drink from his whiskey and sits down on the chair.

"I don't get it Dad, you're demoting me?" Kirsten looks horrified.

"What the hell are you doing, Cal? She's made your company tons of money. This isn't right," Sandy says, holding his wife close.

"Don't think of it as a demotion. You won't be making any less. I'm making you the Chief Financial Officer, Kiki. I just can't stand not being involved with the company that I forged from the ground up." Kirsten sits down, stunned. Caleb takes this as a sign that the conversation is over. "So, Lindsey and I will be seeing you for dinner tonight. Call that Thai place that I love." Caleb calls out to Lindsey, who has gotten out of the pool and changed, and tells her that it is time to go.

As the two leave, Sandy sits down next to his wife on the couch and puts his arm around her shoulder. "Oh, Kirsten. Come on honey. You could not have done more or done better."

Kirsten looks up into her husband's understanding eyes and lays her head on his shoulder. "I just don't understand. I've…I've worked so hard for him, I've killed myself for him."

"Well, the man is a bottomless pit of need. You think you can fill it; you can't. If he can't appreciate you," he faces his wife and takes her head is his hands, staring into her eyes, "screw him."

"Sandy, he's my dad."

"And he's ruining your life."

* * *

Marissa walks up to the front door of Taylor and Veronica Townsend's house. She knocks on the door and is greeted by Veronica Townsend herself.

"Well, Marissa Cooper. How are you dear? I hope everything is going okay with your family since the whole cotillion thing."

Marissa gives the older woman a disbelieving look. "Uh huh. Everything is great." The woman was a terrible gossip and there was no way that she was giving her friend's mother any ammunition. "Is Taylor here?"

"I'm sure she's up in her room. I haven't seen her all day." Veronica wanders off to the den, seemingly unconcerned with her only child's whereabouts.

Marissa takes off her sunglasses, goes up the stairs, and enters Taylor's room to see Summer watching her favorite show, "The Valley", on Taylor's television and Taylor attempting to braid her hair.

"Stop Townsend. You are terrible at this. Let's just wait until Marissa gets here." Summer looks over and sees her friend. "Speak of the devil. What's wrong," she asks, noticing Marissa's red eyes.

"I think my parents are getting divorced." She sits down on the bed, joining her two best friends.

"Sweetie, that's terrible." "I'm so sorry, Cooper." The two girls hug their friend. Summer speaks first. "What do you want to do, Coop? You want some junk food?"

Taylor stands up. "I'm not sure that my mom has any junk food around, but we could go to the store and get some ice cream and sweets and soda-"

"Calm down, Taylor. I'm upset, don't get me wrong, but I don't think I need any comfort foods. I just want to know what I should do. You've both been through this before and I thought maybe you would have some advice for what I can do so I don't lose it."

Taylor sits back down on the bed and takes her friend's hand. "Well, yes, we are both children of divorce, but we've kind of had different experiences. My mom mostly ignores me these days. She's not necessarily mean; I think she just wishes I wasn't here to remind her of my dad sometimes. I think it makes her depressed." Taylor looks a little sad. "Summer, on the other hand, became her Dad's sole focus, other than work, and was raised very lovingly. So you're going to get a couple very different perspectives."

"One thing we can both agree on, Coop, is that you need to talk to them about it. I wish like hell that my dad and mom would have talked to me about what was going on, and I'm sure Taylor wishes the same." The two girls look over at Taylor, who nods. Summer continues. "We may have been too young to understand, but you're old enough that they owe you that much."

Marissa hugs her friends again. "Thanks guys. I didn't know what to do, or who to talk to. The last people I wanted to talk to were my parents, but I guess you're right. I do need to talk to them and let them know how I feel."

"You know, I think times like these require breaking into the emergency supply." Taylor walks over to the mini-fridge hidden under her desk, and pulls out the small carton of Ben & Jerry's that she has. She finds a spoon, and all three enjoy the comfort that can only be provided by sweet food.

_Later_

Seth and Ryan are riding down the pier heading in the direction of their favorite taco stand. Having opted to forgo Ryan's jeep due to the nice day, Ryan is on his bike and Seth is on his skateboard. They arrive at the stand and Ryan locks his bike to the pier. He looks up and sees his auburn-haired angel sitting at a table. She is currently involved in what appears to be a very engaging conversation with Summer. Ryan walks up to the table, closely followed by Seth, and joins his girlfriend, while Seth sits down next to Summer. "So what were you guys talking about," he asks his girlfriend and gives her a kiss.

"Marissa's parents are getting a divorce," Taylor tells him. "She came over earlier today to talk to us."

"She was pretty broken up about it. You should probably call her later, Cohen," Summer says.

"I've known Marissa and her folks since forever. They can't get divorced. I can't believe that she didn't tell me what was going on." Ryan looks a little upset.

"And you would have told her what," Taylor asks him. "Summer and I have both been through this before. She just wanted advice on how to handle it. I'm sure she was going to tell you, she just needs to talk to her parents."

"Talk to her Cohen," Summer advises. "Taylor and I may be her best girl friends, but you are her best friend, period." She looks over at Seth to provide the final nugget of advice. He just shrugs.

"Sorry to steal your move man, but I've got nothing." Summer slugs him on the shoulder. "Oww! Really, I don't have anything. My dad left before I was born and I never really had any friends to talk to about it." He rubs his hand over his injured body part. "I think I may bruise," he mumbles to himself.

Summer moves his hand and kisses the shoulder she just hit. "I'm sorry. I forgot your life pre-Cohen wasn't very great."

"It's okay sweetie." Seth kisses her and looks back over at Ryan. "Look at it this way, man. At least she has friends to talk to about it."

"Yeah, I guess." He still looks a little unsure about the issue, but lets it drop. "So, 5 or 5:30," he asks his girlfriend.

Taylor just raises her eyebrows at him.

"Right. 5:30 it is then," he says, answering his own question.

"Oh my God, do you two have to do that all the time?" Summer rolls her eyes at the couple.

"Wait…I'm lost. What just happened," Seth asks.

"Ryan asked me what time I wanted him to pick me up for the party tomorrow night, 5 or 5:30. I said I have an appointment with my therapist at 2 and it would take a couple hours, not to mention the additional time it would take to get ready, so he should pick me up at 5:30." She looks up and puts her finger on her mouth, studying the sky in thought. "Maybe I should suggest to Marissa that she see a therapist. It helped me so much when I was little that I still see Dr. Wallerstein once a month."

"Put a cork in it, Townsend. You didn't say anything. All Ryan said was '5 or 5:30' and you just gave him a look. This reading each others' mind thing is a little weird."

Ryan looks at Taylor and shrugs. She returns his shrug with a wink. Summer slams her fist on the table, startling both of them.

"You're doing it again! Stop it!" She looks over at Seth, who looks a little scared at the possibility of another rage blackout. "What time do you want to pick me up?"

He looks at her a little strangely, squinting his eyes as if staring intensely. "5. 5:30. 5:45? 6? 9:39? 1:00?"

Summer looks confused. "What are you doing? Are you trying to read my mind?"

"Maybe. Is it working?"

"You are _so_ strange sometimes. Nobody can do what Cohen and Townsend do anyway."

"Make out and speak foreign languages?"

"Actually," Taylor interrupts, "making out is kind of Luke and Marissa's thing and Ryan can speak Spanish, while I am fluent in French, Korean, and-" Ryan cups his hand over Taylor's mouth and motions Seth and Summer to continue their conversation.

"How about 5:30," Seth asks Summer. "That seems to be a pretty popular pick-up time."

"That sounds okay." She kisses him, but breaks it off with a questioning look on her face. "I'm not riding on Ryan's spokes am I?"

"Hell no, woman!" Seth hits the table with his fist, and then shakes it in pain. "I've got the gangsta ride!"

Summer looks over at Ryan for clarification. "That means Mom is letting him use the Rover."

"Word, shorty," Seth adds.

Ryan looks at his watch and says that they've got to get back home for dinner with his grandpa.

"Whatever." Summer stands and pulls Seth with her. "Come on, Vanilla Ice. You'd better get back before somebody busts a cap in your ass." Ryan stands as well and kisses Taylor good bye. Seth receives a peck on the cheek for his efforts and the girls walk out to Taylor's car.

"Come on, dawg. Let's go back to our crib." Seth tries out a gang sign.

Ryan looks at his friend, shakes his head, and walks toward his bike.

_The Cooper residence_

Marissa walks into her house and sees her mother and father sitting in the same position they were in when she left, only looking a little more haggard.

Jimmy sees her enter first. "Hey kiddo. What's up?"

"I know," she just says.

"You know what, sweetheart," Julie asks her.

"I know that you and Dad are getting a divorce. I overheard you talking about it earlier."

"Sweetie, we're not getting a divorce-"

"Don't patronize me, Mom," Marissa says, frowning. "I know what I heard."

"You didn't get the whole conversation," Jimmy tells her. "We haven't made up our minds yet. We're trying to consider what would be the best options for you. You're what we're worried about. We just want to make sure that you are taken care of."

"What I want is for you to be together. I want my family," Marissa laments.

"We'll see sweetie. There's a lot that we still have to discuss, and I'm sorry that we didn't include you. From now on, we'll tell you what's going on, okay?" Julie walks over and hugs her daughter. She is followed by Jimmy.

"No matter what happens," Jimmy says, "we both want you to know that we love you, ok?"

"I love you too, Daddy."

_Dinner_

The Cohens are joined around the dinner table by Caleb and Lindsey. Kirsten is still in a sour mood about the conversation she had with her father earlier.

"That was delicious Kirsten," Lindsey tells her sister.

"Thank you, Lindsey. I order from them all the time," Kirsten says, gathering the plates.

"Less time at work, more time for cooking." Caleb laughs and Kirsten frowns at her father's inappropriate joke.

Sandy tries to lighten the mood. "Yeah because there is just no place Kirsten feels more comfortable than in the kitchen." He laughs and his heart lightens a little as he sees his wife give him a small smile. Small victories, he thinks to himself.

Ryan just gives a snort of laughter in response.

Kirsten looks at her son. "Thanks for the support, sweetie." She walks into the kitchen with the dishes, followed by her husband.

"Love you Mom," he calls after her.

"Ryan, you don't ever seem to say much," Caleb tells his grandson. "Why is that?"

Ryan opens his mouth to answer, closes it, thinks for a second, and just ends up shrugging.

"He saves it for when it really matters," Seth answers for him. "Like when he's whispering sweet Spanish nothings in Taylor's ear."

Caleb frowns at Seth and turns back to Ryan. "So you're still with Taylor Townsend?"

"Nothing's changed since cotillion," he says, answering his grandpa's question.

"Except the Coopers' social situation." He looks at his youngest daughter, who is smiling, and smiles back at her.

"Grandpa, please tell me you had nothing to do with that," Ryan pleads.

In response, Caleb excuses himself to go get more wine, leaving Seth and Ryan alone with Lindsey. Ryan glares at her.

"So, you _did_ get Grandpa to give Zach that information. You…little…bitch," Ryan says through gritted teeth.

"I love you too, little nephew." Lindsey smiles at him.

Seth turns pale, puts his fist to his mouth, and swallows. "I think I just threw up in mouth a little bit."

"You are so lucky you're a girl," Ryan continues, "or…"

Lindsey has a smug look on her face. "Or what, Ryan? You'd hit me? We both know that Sandy Cohen's son would never strike a woman in anger. Plus, Dad would be pissed and you're just as scared of him as my sister is."

"Who said anything about Ryan," Seth asks. "I think Summer would come after you with a few sharp objects if we told her what you and Zach did to Marissa's dad at cotillion."

Lindsey laughs. "You mean you haven't told Marissa yet? Are you afraid what will happen to her fragile little mind when she finds out?"

Seth and Ryan share a worried look.

"Lindsey! We're leaving. Now," her dad yells from the other room.

"See you boys tomorrow." Lindsey stands up and waves as she leaves the Cohen house with her dad.

"Dude, I'm so sorry," Seth apologizes to Ryan.

"It's okay. I was about ready to say the same thing." Ryan pulls out his cell phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Luke," Ryan says, finding the other boy's name in his phone and dialing. "I need to give him a heads up that we're breaking the news to Marissa."

_Cohen, what's up man?_

"Nothin' bro. I just wanted to give you a little warning that we're going to tell Marissa about what happened at cotillion."

_You're a little late. I already told her. Sorry, Cohen._

"No, it's cool. I'm gonna go over and talk to her about it."

_Cool. Later, man._

Ryan hangs up the phone and yells to his parents that they're going over to Marissa's house.

"Dude, I don't want to go over to Marissa's and listen to you two talk about best friends things."

"Summer might be there," Ryan says.

"Let's go."

_At the Cooper residence_

Ryan knocks on the door to Marissa's house. The door is answered, not by Marissa, but by Julie. "Good evening Ryan. Seth." She nods to the teens. "Now probably isn't the best time to be visiting. We're kind of dealing with some family things right now."

"Yeah, I heard about your divorce. I'm really sorry. I just need to talk to Marissa really quick." He walks by Julie, who looks confused.

"What? Divorce? Who said anything about a divorce?"

Ryan walks up the stairs, missing Julie's last question. Summer comes out of Marissa's room, just as Ryan is about ready to go in.

"She's in there," Summer says, pointing to the door. "Come on, Seth. Let's go for a walk. We'll let them have their talk." She grabs Seth by the arm and pulls him out the door.

Ryan opens the door and sees Marissa sitting on her bed, reading a book. "Doing a little summer reading," he asks.

"No, it's _On The Road_, by Jack Kerouac." She holds up the book. "Seth and Taylor won't shut up about it, so I thought I'd see what it was all about."

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty good." Marissa marks her page and closes the book. "So why didn't you tell me what you guys found at cotillion? Zach and Lindsey used your grandpa to out my dad. That's pretty messed up!"

"Well, you had a lot going on. Your dad had just been publicly assaulted and I didn't want to overload you." Ryan sits down on the end of her bed.

"You know me better than that, Ryan. You and Luke both. You've got to trust me to be able to handle stuff like that. It sucks but I'm not going to lose it and try to kill myself."

"You want me to trust you? Like you trusted me when you found out your parents were getting divorced?"

"I was going to tell you," Marissa says.

"Before or after they split up?"

"Before, of course! No offense, but divorces aren't really you niche. Summer and Taylor have both gone through that before. They helped me out a lot. If it wasn't for them, I would never have talked to my parents and found out that I only heard part of the conversation. Yeah," she says at Ryan's questioning look, "I may have been a little forward passing around that information. Regardless, I promise to come to you first from now on if I have a question about having the prefect family, okay?" She puts her hand on his knee. "Are we good?"

"Of course," Ryan says, looking offended. "We were always good. You're my oldest friend. It'll take way more than one argument to change that. Just promise me one thing though."

"Anything."

"If it does ever get so bad that you think you might want to give up, you'll come and talk to me, Luke, one of the girls, even Seth. Anybody."

"Ryan, I wasn't being serious."

"I know, just promise me."

"Fine, I promise." She crosses her heart and hugs Ryan.

"Okay, now we're good. Let's go find Seth and Summer." They walk out of the house and in the direction of the Cohen's driveway. As they reach the backyard, Ryan looks in the pool house, but it's darkened. Marissa pokes him in the shoulder and points to the living room, where Seth and Summer are seated on one of the couches. They go in and Ryan waves at Seth, who starts gesturing wildly with his arms. Marissa looks at Ryan, who gives a patented shrug and walks into the living room. Just then, Sandy walks out of the kitchen and sees them.

"Hey, Dad. What's up?"

Sandy ignores his son's question, instead speaking to Marissa. "Marissa, can you take Summer home? I have to talk to my boys."

Marissa shoots Seth a questioning look. He just drops his head. "Sure, Sandy. See you guys tomorrow."

Summer gets up off the couch, mutters a 'Thank God', and almost runs out the front door.

Ryan wanders into the kitchen and grabs a box of cereal from the pantry and joins Seth on the couch. "So what's going on, Dad? You kind of have me worried." He tosses a handful of cereal in his mouth.

"I think it's time that we had a talk that's been coming for awhile, especially now that Seth is here. I don't know what your mother has already said to you in regards to the whole Taylor situation, but we need to talk about," Sandy looks uncomfortable, "sex."

"Oh God."

"That's what I said," Seth says. "He held off on the talk until you got here."

Ryan swallows the rest of the cereal remaining in his mouth and sets the box down. "I don't think I'm so hungry anymore."

* * *

Seth is already up, sitting at the counter, eating a bowl of cereal when Ryan walks into the kitchen the next morning. Seth shakes the box at him, and Ryan just shakes his head. "After 'the talk' last night, I think I may be off of cereal forever." He grabs a bagel, slices it and places it in the toaster.

"What do you mean? I thought you went through all this with The Kirsten when she caught you and Taylor in the pool house? Which is kinda gross, by the way, seeing as how I sleep in that bed."

"Sorry. It happened a couple months before you got here. And Mom never really said anything to us, just that we should keep it under wraps. We didn't get the whole embarrassing lecture on condoms and birth control that Dad gave us last night."

"Well, at least he didn't catch you with your girlfriend on top of you, grinding on your crotch, sans shirt," Seth laments.

"It could be worse. When Mom caught me and Taylor in the pool house, I was in my boxers and Taylor was in hers."

"You mean-" Seth asks, and Ryan nods his head, answering the unfinished question for the boy. "Again, man, I sleep there."

"Sorry. Again."

"Whatever. So Summer probably will never speak to me again."

"It's gonna be fine. When Summer finds something she wants, she takes it and doesn't let it go."

"Dude." Seth stares at his foster brother. "Sandy caught her, near topless, making out with me, and then tried to lecture her about safe sex. I'm totally screwed."

Ryan pulls out his cell phone.

"You know, you could just skip the whole dramatic scene of you whipping out your cell by having it attached to your hand. Just saying," he adds as Ryan glares at him. "Who are you calling this time?"

"Backup," is all Ryan says.

"That's not ominous at all."

_Summer's_

Taylor raps her knuckles sharply on Summer's door and, without waiting for an answer, enters her room purposefully. Summer is in her bra, standing in front of her closet. She quickly grabs a shirt and covers herself before seeing that it's only Taylor in her room. She throws down the shirt.

"God, what is it with people catching me in my bra," she asks, more to herself than anyone, and turns to Taylor. "What are you doing here Taylor? Isn't Cohen picking you up in…," she looks at her watch, "an hour? It takes you forever to get ready!"

"Oh, it's okay. Ryan dropped off the Rover earlier so that I could get ready with you and we could go to the party together." Taylor hangs up the garment bag she is carrying on the canopy of Summer's bed.

Summer glares at her. "Ryan told you, didn't he? Asshat," she mutters.

"Well, he was concerned."

Summer puts her hands on her hips. "So what's up Townsend? You here to give me a practical demonstration on the proper way to apply a condom?"

"To borrow your native tongue, Summer, ewww." She opens the garment bag and removes the dress she carefully selected for the evening, then sits down on the bed. "As you already know, Kirsten caught Ryan and I in that same bed, although with slightly less clothing."

"Don't remind me." Summer makes a gagging noise.

"Thanks. Anyway, Kirsten and I had a long talk that day, without Ryan. She said that even though she still thinks of Ryan as her little boy, she knows that we teenagers are slaves to our hormones. And she knows that Ryan and I really care for each other. All she asked of us was that we use protection and not flaunt it in front of her that we're sexually active."

"As interested as I am in your sex life, Taylor, skip to the part where this involves me."

"I just don't want you to give up what you have with Seth because his dad caught you making out with him. You two have this great connection that rivals what Ryan and I have and what Luke and Marissa have. It's like all of us were supposed to be together; even in some alternate universe, I think we'd still be with each other." Taylor walks over to Summer puts her arm around her friend's shoulder. "Things will be a little awkward for awhile, but don't let that keep you away from Seth."

Summer thinks for a moment. "You're actually pretty good at that, Townsend."

"Good at what?"

"Knowing what people are thinking before they do."

"Maybe my future lies in psychic readings? I could put that fraud, Esmerelda, out of business." The girls both laugh and begin to get ready.

_The Party_

"Maybe we could convince your Aunt Hailey to take her with her on her travels," Marissa asks Ryan.

"Are you kidding," Ryan says laughing. He and the other five teens are sitting off to the side, watching Lindsey and Zach schmooze with Caleb's friends. "Hailey hates Lindsey. Before she came along, Grandpa was Aunt Hailey's meal ticket. Now she has to actually work for her travel money."

Seth pokes Ryan on the shoulder. "You have another aunt?"

"Yeah, but she's actually my full aunt. She has the same mother as Mom does."

"Dude, I'm totally bored," Luke says, huffing out a breath of air. "Let's do something."

"We could go down to the beach," Ryan offers. They all agree that a beautiful night such as the current one deserves a better setting than a party they don't want to be at. Leaving, they barely miss the arrival of Marissa's father. Julie doesn't however.

"What are you doing here, Jimmy," she asks, taking her husband's arm. "I thought you weren't coming tonight. Please, don't get in another fight," she pleads with her husband.

"Hey, hey," he says, taking her by the shoulders, "I…I've got a plan, ok? Just take it easy, there's a chance for everything to go back to the way it was. Caleb Nichol employs thousands of people, none of whom are more experienced or qualified as I am. how big a leap can it be from investing in stocks to investing in real estate?"

"Are you sure, Jimmy? He owns this community, and they think you're a criminal. What makes you think he's going to believe differently?"

"The guy loves me; he has since I was a kid. He taught me how to sail. When I was in junior high, he tried to convince me to propose to Kirsten."

Julie kisses him on the cheek. "Good luck, James."

Jimmy walks off, looking for Caleb, and finds him standing near the couch, drinking a glass of champagne. "Hey, Cal. Happy birthday," Jimmy says, taking his hand.

"Jimmy, how are you?" Cal shakes back with a smile.

"Just wanted to see how you were doing. And," he lowers his voice, "maybe ask you for a favor."

"Why don't we step outside?" Cal leads him out near the pool. "So, what's the favor James?" Caleb's voice lowers and he puts on his business face. "You want another one hundred thousand dollar loan, like the one my daughter gave you? I have to tell you, James, usually people give _you_ gifts on your birthday, not ask for you to give _them_ a gift."

"How did you know about that?"

"I'm the most powerful man in Newport, James. I know everything that goes on here." Caleb takes a drink from his champagne.

"Well I'm not asking for a loan. Just a job," he says, staring at his shoes.

Caleb barks out a laugh. "After you stole 4 million dollars from your clients to cover your own mismanaged accounts? Jimmy, I wouldn't trust you with the job of watching my grass grow."

"Come on, Cal," Jimmy pleads. "I just need something. I'm about to lose my family."

"That's unfortunate. You should have thought of that when you were stealing from your clients." He takes another drink, throws his arm around Jimmy's shoulder, and his face changes back to his casual face. "Now I believe that it's time for you to leave. Smile big, James," he says quietly, as he walks Jimmy back inside. "I'll not have you making a scene at my party like you did at cotillion."

Jimmy walks off, his place near Caleb taken by Lindsey and Zach.

"Happy Birthday, Daddy," Lindsey says, hugging her father.

Cal smiles. "Thank you sweetheart. Are you having a good time?"

"Yes, but I think I'm ready to go home."

Caleb looks concerned. "Are you okay? I'll call my driver and he'll take you." He pulls out his cell phone.

"I'm fine Daddy. Actually, Zach offered to take me home, if that's okay?"

Caleb looks Zach over and smiles. "I don't see why not. I won't be home for awhile yet. I've still got some deals that need to be ironed out."

"Alright Daddy." She kisses him on the cheek. "I'll see you later." Zach takes her arm and walks her out the door.

_On the beach_

The girls are walking with their boyfriends, arm in arm, along the beach near the Cohens' house.

"You know, it's kind of strange that, after all these years, you may not be my next door neighbor anymore," Ryan says to Marissa.

"Hey, that's not for sure," Taylor says.

"That's right," Marissa adds.

"Well, since you may be a short-timer here, or you may not, I say you take advantage of this little beach while you can," Seth says. Everyone looks at him with a confused look. "I suggest skinny-dipping."

Summer kisses him and follows it up with a light slap to the arm. "You just want to see me in my bra again."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"I think Corona has the right idea," Luke says.

"No way," Marissa interrupts. "You guys will just stand there and watch us take off our clothes. You go first," she says, winking at the other girls.

The guys look at each other and begin stripping down to their drawers. They abandon their suits on the sand and run into the surf. Shaking the water from their hair, they turn to watch the girls strip anyway, only to see them running away, carrying something.

"Dude," Ryan calmly says. "They've got our clothes."

The boys run out of the water and chase down the girls, who scream with delight when the boys finally catch them.

_The Nichol mansion_

Zach pulls his SUV up to the doorway of the huge Nichol house. He turns the vehicle off and walks over to Lindsey's side as she steps out. "So…you ready to pay up?"

"Only if you're ready to collect," she says with an evil look in her eye.

Zach throws her up against the side of the SUV and begins to make out with her. He breaks off for a breath and Lindsey drags him inside the house.

* * *

A/N: For those of you that were a little confused, a couple explanations. One, Sandy is NOT Seth's dad. Just to clear that up. The timing is totally wrong. Plus, Sandy would never cheat on Kirsten. It would destroy them both. Two, Anna's absence from my AU is because Lindsey already took her place a long time ago, and Seth will take the one remaining spot, hence no Anna. Random fact of the chapter: Taylor's therapist is named after a real woman, Judith Wallerstein, who created a 25-year study on the effects of divorce on the children involved. I thought that was kind of interesting and kind of quirky that Taylor would be a subject in a study. So very Taylor. Hope you enjoy and please review! Thanks for waiting, ORy!

AZ


	6. The Getaway

"So what are we going to do while you're gone," Sandy asks his wife. "You know we don't do the household management thing that well."

Kirsten kisses him on the cheek. "I'm only going to be gone for three days. I'm sure you boys can just eat some take-out like normal. You don't even have to do the dishes."

"Why do you even have to go anyway," Seth asks.

"The girls and I have been looking forward to this trip to Catalina for months. Julie and Marissa could definitely use it after everything they've been going through for the past few weeks. I need a vacation after dealing with my father last week, and I'm sure your girlfriends could use one last break before school starts next week."

"How come we don't know anything about this? Taylor never said anything to me." Ryan looks over to Seth, who shrugs his shoulders.

"Don't look at me, man. Summer didn't say anything to me about it."

"That's because they didn't know. Veronica, Julie, and I decided to keep it a secret, as sort of an end of summer surprise. Veronica is bringing Taylor, Julie is bringing Marissa, and, since your father couldn't be bothered to grace our household with a daughter," Sandy holds up his hands in a what-can-you-do gesture, "I'm bringing Summer. I talked to Neil yesterday and he was looking forward to having to weekend to himself." She almost dropped the glass she was holding in surprise as she was struck by a thought. "Ooo, I just got the best idea! Why don't you invite Neil, Jimmy, Carson, and Luke, and all you boys can get together and grill, or play some golf, or whatever it is that men do. Isn't that a great idea," she asks Sandy.

Sandy looks at Ryan, who predictably shrugs, and Seth, who flashes a smile and a thumbs up. "Sounds great, Sandman. Gives me a perfect excuse to dress like a gay pimp, and smack around some little white balls with the most idiotic look on my face. I love golf." Seth pours more milk into his bowl.

"Where did you learn how to play golf," Ryan asks his friend.

"Dude, I'm Jewish. The little, old Jewish man in all of us," he points at Sandy, who nods, "enables us to be good at things like golf, shuffle board, and chess without any practice. I think we're born with an innate appreciation for activities that don't actually require athletic ability."

Sandy shakes his head and laughs. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea, despite Seth's enthusiasm. I'm pretty sure Carson is out of town with his business partner, but it sounds like Neil is free, and I know Jimmy is probably looking for any excuse to get out of the house."

Kirsten kisses her husband on the cheek. "You boys have fun. I've got to go finish packing my bags. The limo comes in a couple hours to pick me up and then it's off to the harbor for the ferry to Catalina." She walks upstairs.

"Come on, Ryan," Seth says, throwing his arm over the other boy's shoulder, "we've got a little shopping to do. I'm thinking argyle."

"Argyle?"

"Yeah, for the socks. Pants, probably going with plaid. Maybe an ugly pastel color for the sweater vest." Seth grabs the keys to Ryan's jeep as he pushes the shorter, blonde boy towards the door.

* * *

Taylor considers a blouse hanging in her closet, eventually discarding it in favor of one with a lighter color. "Mom, do you want to tell me why I'm packing a bag for the weekend? You're not shipping me off to some random camp for the weekend, are you?"

"Absolutely not, Taylor. I guess I can tell you now, since we're about to leave. Kirsten, Julie, and I are surprising you, Marissa, and Summer with a weekend at the spa on Catalina." Veronica walks into her daughter's room.

"Is this some kind of trick?" Taylor narrows her eyes at her mother, trying to get a feel for her motivation.

Veronica pulls her daughter into a hug, much to Taylor's surprise. "Of course not. I just realized that we haven't really had much time together lately, and I want to remedy that." She lets Taylor go and walks toward the room's entrance. "Now, hurry up and finish packing. Kirsten called to say that the limo just picked up Summer, so we're next."

Taylor grabs a few more items, throws them in her bag, and drags it downstairs. Depositing it outside with her mother's bags, she sits down on the stairs leading to the door and dials her boyfriend's phone.

_Hey, babe._

"Hey. So I don't think we'll be able to go out this weekend, like we planned. My mom is taking me to Catalina, with Julie, Marissa, Summer, and your mom." She huffs a strand of hair out of her eyes.

_Yeah, I know. Mom told me a little bit ago. I was going to call, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise._ A loud crashing sound emanates from the phone, along with Ryan's voice. _Seth!_

"What are you doing?"

_We're at the golf store. Seth is picking out the latest in golfing couture, as he calls it. My mom suggested a golfing trip, and other man-things to do while you girls are gone for the weekend._

Taylor laughs. "Seth can golf?"

_That's what I said. He's currently wearing the most ridiculous getup I've ever seen. Don't worry, I'll take pictures._

"Read my mind. You boys have fun. I'll call you later. Love you."

_Love you too._

Taylor hangs up the phone as the limo pulls up to the front door of her house. Summer and Marissa pop out of the back and assault her with two big hugs.

"Oh my God, Townsend! How excited are you," Summer asks her friend. "I've never been to Catalina. I'm so excited!"

"I see Seth has been rubbing off on you," Taylor says to her, smiling.

"Sum wouldn't shut up the entire way here. I think Kirsten wants a little bonding time with her new son's girlfriend," Marissa whispers to Taylor. "I'm guessing that she's going to realize that Sum and Seth have more in common than anyone knows."

The driver grabs the last of the bags, placing them in the back, and the women pile back into the limo.

* * *

"Daddy? Where are you?!" Lindsey stomps through her house looking for her father before finding him in the garage, placing his golf clubs in his bag. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going golfing at Big Canyon this weekend. Taking some time off from The Newport Group for a weekend. My doctor advised that I take occasional time away from the office and lower my stress level." Caleb places his five wood in the bag, along with his driver.

"Is everything ok," Lindsey asks, looking concerned.

"Everything is fine. It's just a precautionary measure." Caleb kisses her on the head.

"Well, why don't you take Zach with you? He goes golfing a lot, and his dad is out of town this weekend. You guys could get to know each other."

"Well, I could use the company, I guess, and Sanford hasn't returned any of my calls since the party. Why not? Why don't you call him and tell him my tee time is tomorrow at 9:05?"

"Thanks, Daddy." Lindsey kisses him on the cheek. "Since you will be doing the boy thing, I was wondering if I could go to the spa for the weekend."

"I don't see why not. Which one should I call to make the reservation at?"

"The Spa at Catalina. I've never been there before and I hear that it's beautiful. Plus, it would be nice to get away from Newport, and a few specific people, for a couple of days."

"I'll call them right away. You should probably go get packed if you want to get there tonight. The last ferry leaves in," he checks his watch, "a couple hours."

Lindsey hugs her father, and makes her way upstairs to pack for a relaxing spa vacation.

* * *

"Neil. Sandy Cohen! How are you?"

_I'm great, Sandy. How are you?_

"As it turns out, I'm entirely not busy enough this weekend. The ladies have left, which leaves me with nothing but time on my hands for the next few days. Do you have any plans?"

_Not particularly. I was planning on just enjoying the weekend without my daughter. I love her to death, but having teenage girls around the house all the time doesn't do great things for your blood pressure._

"I understand that, believe me. Seems like those girls grew up in four different houses." Sandy laughs. "Look Neil, the reason I'm calling is that I've got a couple tee times set up for tomorrow. It'll be me, my two boys, Luke Ward, and Jimmy Cooper. Having you would make it an even six. You in?"

_Sure. I was actually just thinking about calling to inquire about tee times on Sunday, but this saves me the trouble. I'm not on call this weekend, and I can't think of a better way to spend my off days than enjoying the links._

"Great! We've got tee times at Big Canyon at 9:15 and 9:25. We'll be by to pick you up at about 8:15. Sound good?"

_Sounds great, Sandy. Thanks for the invitation._

"Glad to have you, Neil. See you then."

Sandy hangs up the phone and is greeted by the sight of his son and foster son entering the house carrying a couple bags each. "Seth, how did you manage to drag Ryan to Fashion Island? He usually avoids that place like the plague."

The boys set their bags down and Ryan glares at his father as he raids the refrigerator, looking for a Mountain Dew. "We didn't go to Fashion Island. Seth needed some golfing gear, so I took him to the country club. Big mistake."

Sandy begins to looks through the bags and starts to laugh. "Seth, are you serious?"

"I'm bringing it back. Wait until you see me wearing it tomorrow." Seth takes Ryan's Dew, forcing his friend to retrieve another. "Thanks buddy. I'm parched."

"It's definitely interesting. He looks like he's going to a rager. Or an Easter party. I can't figure out which," Ryan says, removing another bottle from the fridge.

"I just called Neil and he'll be joining us tomorrow. Luke said that Carson is indeed gone, but that he'd be delighted to be joining us. Tee times are at about nine, so we'll be leaving at about 8. You boys can pick up Luke, I'll get Jimmy and Neil, and we'll meet up there. Sound good?"

"What about clubs," Seth asks Sandy.

"I've got an extra set you can borrow in the garage. You and I seem to be about the same height so they should work fine for you. Ryan and Luke have their own sets."

"Sounds like we're ready to go. Now what about dinner?"

The guys look at each other over the counter top.

"We could grill," Sandy suggests. The boys nod their assent. They leave the house and pile into the Rover to go to the grocery store.

* * *

"Oh, I can't believe we're here. This is, like, a dream come true," Summer says, walking as if in a daze. Kirsten laughs at the girl and leads the other women up to the desk to check in to their hotel.

"I thought we were going to the spa," Marissa asks.

"We are sweetie," Julie says, "it's just a day spa, so we have to have a place to stay when we're not there."

"And it's too late to start tonight," Veronica adds. "How do you ladies feel about dinner after we get settled into our rooms?"

The concierge finishes checking them in and leads them up to their rooms. The two mothers room with their daughters, leaving Kirsten and Summer to bunk together.

"Thanks for everything, Mrs. C. I really appreciate you inviting me along, even though I don't have a mother here with me." Summer sets her luggage on the bed and begins to unpack her clothes.

"Sweetie, it's my pleasure. I know that it's hard with Taylor and Marissa here with their mothers, and your father going through his second divorce not too long ago, but I understand how you feel. How about I temporarily adopt you for the weekend? That way, you have a mother here and I have a daughter?"

"That's totally cool, Mrs. C. Or should I call you 'Mom'," she asks.

"How about we stick with Kirsten? And it's the least I can do after my husband tried to give you the safe sex talk." She smiles at Summer's blushing.

"In the spirit of you being my adopted mother for the next few days, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Can we not mention Seth and sex? I'm kinda getting the parental lecture vibe and it's just a little strange."

"I promise that I won't bring it up this weekend," Kirsten says, hugging the shorter girl. "Now, let's go get the other ladies and we can go get some dinner. I'm getting burnt out on take-out."

* * *

Sandy grabs the tongs and flips the steaks over as he takes a swig of beer. We never have beer anymore, he muses to himself. He hears the door to the patio slam and turns to see Luke walking over. "Luke, how are you? Here for the cook-out?"

"I sure am, Mr. Cohen. Smells delicious." He takes off his shirt and tackles Ryan, who is taunting a swimming Seth, into the pool. "Gotcha, Cohen!"

Sandy smiles as Luke and Ryan begin rough housing in the pool, Seth yelling about collateral damage and climbing out. The skinnier boy joins him at the grill.

"How goes the grilling, Sandman?"

"Oh no. We can't have that. The only person that can get away with calling me that terrible nickname is Cal, and only because he won't…not."

Seth slides a piece of chicken off of a kabob and eats it, rubbing his belly in a satisfactory manner. "I'm gonna make it work. You'll be enjoying it in no time."

"We'll see. Stop picking at the kabobs," he says, slapping Seth's hand away. "They're almost done. You can eat them when everybody gets here."

Seth looks up. "Who else are we waiting on?"

"Jimmy should be here in a minute. We've got some work stuff to go over after dinner."

"Speak of the devil," Seth says and nods toward the patio doors, where Jimmy Cooper is currently standing, carrying a six pack of beer and his briefcase.

"Food's done!" Sandy puts the steaks on a platter and, along with the kabobs, places everything on the table. "Boys, out of the pool!"

Ryan and Luke join Seth, who is already sitting down, at the table and the men begin to eat.

_Later_

The boys have changed and are playing video games in the pool house as Jimmy and Sandy sit in the living room going over Jimmy's situation one last time.

"I don't mean to pressure you Jimmy, but my attorney friend has been asking what your plans are. Have you talked to Julie about it?"

Jimmy takes a sip of his beer. "We did and she's taking this weekend away to talk to Marissa about it. I'd rather not go to jail, but if that's what it takes to keep my family comfortable, then I'll do it. One idea that Julie was wondering about would be divorce." He studies Sandy's face.

"Well, with a divorce, you could concede the house to Julie and Marissa. Of course, you wouldn't be able to sell it and use the equity toward the restitution claim, but it would keep the house from being foreclosed on, as long as your wife can make payments on it. I wouldn't recommend that avenue. Julie's earning potential is MUCH lower than yours, even with this hanging over your head, and she might get the house foreclosed on anyway." Sandy makes a realization. "Unless you're planning on paying Julie alimony…You sly dog," he says with a grin on his face. "Not a bad idea, I agree, but how are you going to afford to do this? You don't even have a job lined up!"

"I'll figure out something. For now, just tell your lawyer friend to go ahead and file the paperwork for the restitution deal. We'll burn those other bridges when we get there."

* * *

The next morning, all six women wake up early for their appointments at the spa. They grab their bags and head down to the front desk to catch the shuttle to the spa. Walking inside, they spot a familiar redhead.

"Lindsey? What are you doing here," Kirsten asks her much younger sister.

"Just wanted to take a weekend for myself," Lindsey says with a smile, thinking she'll have some time alone with her sister. That thought is quickly dashed when she sees the next arrivals on the shuttle: Veronica and Taylor Townsend, Summer Roberts, and Julie and Marissa Cooper. So much for her weekend away from those bitches, she thinks to herself. "I see you brought along some company?"

Kirsten fails to notice the change in Lindsey's demeanor. "We've had this weekend planned for awhile now, and with everything going on back in Newport, we thought this might be the perfect time for a weekend away from everyone. Why don't you join us?"

The three younger girls glare at her response. "Sure, why not?"

_At the spa_

The three older women are sitting in the sauna sweating out toxins, while the younger girls enjoy individual massages, when Kirsten decides to ask Julie how her legal problems are going.

"Terribly. Hopefully Jimmy is coming up with some kind of miracle idea that will keep him out of jail and us in our house, but I highly doubt it."

"What kind of options did he give you," Veronica asks.

"Sandy apparently told him that we can stay together, sell the house, and start over, or we can declare bankruptcy and he'll most likely go to jail."

"Well, I'm sure you know which one _I_ think you should choose," Kirsten says, "but this is a decision only your family can make. Personally, I hope that you don't let Jimmy go to jail."

"We've already given up on the jail option. Jimmy would never survive jail and I don't know how Marissa would react to having a felon for a father. There is one other option though, that Jimmy came up with. If we get divorced, I could claim the house in the division of property and Marissa and I could continue to live there."

"That's true," Veronica says, "but, as a real estate agent, I have to ask: How much is the house worth and how much do you have in equity?"

Julie shrugs. "Jimmy said the house is worth a little over three million and we've got almost two and a half in equity."

"Julie, that's over half of what Jimmy owes," Kirsten exclaims. "If he used that towards the restitution claim, he'd only have a little to pay off!"

"I agree with Kirsten, Julie. This doesn't sound like a great idea. Not to mention what would happen to Marissa if she found out you were divorcing him. She'd probably end up hating you, just like my daughter hates me." Veronica studies her nails.

"Veronica, Taylor doesn't hate you," Kirsten says to the other woman. "She just wants to spend more time with you. I think she feels like you ignore her."

"I don't mean to Kirsten, it's just that sometimes she brings back memories of her father. I don't blame her for the divorce, but it often seems easier to ignore her than remember what happened."

"You've got to re-establish your connection with your daughter before it's too late, Veronica. These are hard times to be a parent. I remember what I was like as a teenager," Julie says, laughing, "and trust me when I say it was no vacation for my parents. Your daughter has a big heart, Veronica, and she's extremely intelligent. Tell her what happened; she'll understand."

"Why don't you two go talk to your daughters," Kirsten advises. "I'll spend some time with Summer and Lindsey and we'll meet up with you later for lunch."

* * *

Ryan and Seth pull up to Luke's house to pick the boy up for the day's round of golfing. Luke walks up to the Jeep, carrying his bag, but almost drops it, laughing, as Seth steps out to let the larger boy into the front seat.

"Corona, what the hell are you wearing?"

"What are you talking about? _This_ is stylish."

"You look like a clown, bro."

Seth looks at his outfit, perplexed. He doesn't see anything wrong with the plaid knickerbockers, dark argyle socks, and lemon-meringue-yellow sweater vest over a pink polo shirt. Philistines, he thinks to himself, and gets in the back seat.

_At the course_

The boys are warming up on the putting green, waiting for their tee time, when they are greeted by laughter coming from the club house. Sandy is leaning against the wall, Neil and Jimmy checking on him as Seth walks up.

"It's okay, he's laughing at me," Seth says morosely. "Mr. Cooper." Seth greets him with a nod and rolls his eyes as Jimmy tries to hold in his laughter and fails. "Dr. Roberts." Seth holds his hand out to the father of his girlfriend. Neil eyes it skeptically.

"Seth, what are you wearing? You look like Payne Stewart dressed you while on LSD." Neil shakes his hand regardless. "Well, if your style of dress is any indication, today should be interesting." He chuckles to himself.

"Sanford? What are you doing here?"

Sandy stops laughing immediately and turns to look at his father-in-law. "I'm here for a guy's day out, Cal. Playing a little golf. I should ask what you're doing here. I thought vampires didn't come out in the daylight."

Seth snickers and Caleb sees him for the first time. "What is that…monstrosity doing on the golf course," he asks, looking horrified and pointing at the boy. "You're not going to play like that are you? I really need to talk to the General Manager about updating the dress code." Zach chuckles. "Well, since you're here, why don't we combine our groups? You've got six, we've got two; we'll do two foursomes."

"No thanks, Cal we've got-" Jimmy begins, but he's interrupted by Caleb.

"Nonsense, Jimmy. I'm not playing with that," he points at Seth, "distraction, so Sandy, why don't you grab Ryan and we'll play together."

Sandy walks over to Seth and pats him on the back. "Don't worry, kid. I love the getup. We'll pair you up with Neil and you can get to know him a little better. I kind of envy you, in a way. At least you don't have to play golf with the devil," he says, laughing, which draws a smile from Seth.

Seth grabs his clubs and places them in the cart with Dr. Roberts' bag. He joins him in the seat of the golf cart, where they wait for the first foursome to tee off.

"So…Seth, how are you at golf? Do they have any good courses in Corona?"

"I wouldn't know, sir. I've never played before."

"Well, that's quite alright. Never a better time to learn than the present. Now, one thing I've got to tell you is that it's important to relax. Golf is a game of controlling your emotions. If you can't do that, you might as well quit now."

* * *

_Veronica & Taylor_

"So are you having a good time, sweetie," Veronica asks her daughter, while they receive their mother-daughter massages.

"Yeah, this is fun Mom. Thanks. It's nice to do something relaxing before school starts up again."

"Well, I'm glad you're having a good time. I've been meaning to talk to you for awhile and I figured that we'd have some time while we were here." She looks over, into her daughter's eyes. "I'm sorry for the way things have been going with us for awhile. Watching you reconnect with your father at cotillion and then hearing about what is happening to Julie and Jimmy Cooper, I figured that I owed you the conversation that we never had when you were younger."

"Mom, it's okay. I know that you tried really hard to keep us afloat when I was younger, and I understand that you weren't always emotionally available. When Dad left, he left a hole in both of us, believe it or not. Sometimes, I wish that I could have talked to you instead of my therapist. That doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is that you're trying to reconnect with me, and that means more than anything." She smiles at her mother.

"Thanks so much, sweetie. You don't know how long I was thinking about what I was going to say to you. I just didn't want to mess it up," Veronica says, tears making her eyes sparkle. She holds her hand out to her daughter, who takes it with her own, to much clucking from their masseuses. Both women laugh and place their hands back on the chairs. "So, are you going to tell me what is up with you and Ryan? I haven't seen him over at the house for awhile."

"Well, you kind of scare him, Mom. Not that you're mean or anything, you're just a little…severe. He's got Kirsten for a mother, come on. You and her are like black and white. Total opposites."

"That's true, I guess. Maybe that's why we get along? How is he doing with having a new family member?"

"I think he's taking it pretty well. Seth talks a lot, but he's been around me for awhile, so I think he's used to it already. The thing with Zach and Lindsey is kind of taking a toll on him, though."

"What thing with Zach and Lindsey?"

Taylor chews her lip worriedly. "Well, I guess it's time to tell someone." Taylor goes on to explain how Lindsey ruined Marissa's cotillion by working with Zach to out Jimmy Cooper.

"WHAT?!"

_Julie & Marissa_

"How's your massage, Marissa," Julie asks her daughter at their own mother-daughter massage.

"It feels great, Mom. Thanks for this little vacation before school. I definitely needed it."

"We both needed it baby. After everything our family has been through, I think we deserve a little vacation." Julie lets out a little moan as the masseuse works out a particularly tight spot on her lower back. "We really need to talk, Marissa. I've been putting this off for awhile, but we eventually need to discuss what's going on."

"I know Mom," Marissa says, opening her eyes. "What do you think is going to be the best thing to do? You know that I love you both and I trust you both to make the best decision, but you're not going to let Dad go to jail, are you?"

"Of course not, sweetie. I loved your father very much at one point in time and I won't let that happen to the father of my daughter. I think the best thing for us to do is to get a divorce."

"Mom!" Marissa sits up and covers herself with the towel. Julie dismisses both the massage specialists and sits up as well. "I thought you two were just talking about that?"

"We were, sweetie, but the only other option that didn't involve your father going to jail would be if we sold the house, and that still wouldn't be enough to cover his debts. He agreed that, since he was the one to incur them that he would take care of them without leaving us with nothing."

"Isn't there anything else? Can't you do anything more," her daughter asks, crying.

"I'm sorry baby, but those are our only options. Divorce happens when you marry for the wrong reasons. Neither one of us regret having you," she clarifies at Marissa's open mouthed stare, "we just should have waited. We were young, and in what we thought was love. And it wasn't all bad. We got you out of the deal, and I'm sure we'd do it all over again just to get that one result. I think your father might do a few things differently," Julies says, smiling. Marissa half smiles as well, and gives her mother a hug.

"So it's just you and me now, huh?"

"James will still help to take care of us, but, for all intents and purposes? Yes, it's just us now." Julie walks over, opens the door, and motions the two women back in.

"So do you think Luke and I have an actually chance, or is it doomed like yours and Dad's relationship was," Marissa asks her mom.

"Oh, sweetie, I didn't want to give you the impression that all young love is doomed to failure. Quite the opposite is true. I think that, if anybody has a chance at it, you and Luke are fine candidates. Ryan and Taylor are probably the same. It's really hard to imagine you four with anyone else."

"I think Seth and Summer are probably close to being in the same place."

"Really? I'm glad for your friend, Marissa. She always _did_ have poor taste in boys. I'm happy she's found one that doesn't seem to be a total loss. Not much to look at, but his humor is…unique and Summer seems to care for him. I'm glad she finally dropped Zach. That little asshole was too arrogant for his own good."

"Actually, about that…" Marissa explains the situation with Zach and Lindsey to her mother, including their involvement with her father's public embarrassment.

"WHAT?!"

_Kirsten, Summer, and Lindsey_

Kirsten hears a simultaneous yell coming from the two rooms that her friends are sharing with their daughters. She looks to the two girls sharing the steam bath with her, one in one corner, the other in the opposite, both sending dark glances toward each other. "Uhm, I'm just going to go check on the others. I'll be right back." Neither girl responds.

"Bitch," Summer mumbles.

"Whore," Lindsey returns.

"Slut."

"Skank."

The insults escalate over the next five seconds, until they are shouting words that no young lady should ever say, let alone know. Summer hears enough when Lindsey refers to her mother as fermented female sex organ, and launches herself at the redhead. Much hair pulling and slapping is exchanged for a quick moment, until Kirsten and the other four women enter and separate the two wildcats.

"What's going on here," Kirsten yells. Neither girl answers. "Lindsey, Summer, one of you better answer up!"

"I think I know what's going on Kirsten," Julie says, glaring at Lindsey. "Marissa just told me the most interesting story. One about how a little redhead ruined our family's life by sharing secrets with a certain escort to cotillion."

"I have to admit, Kirsten, Taylor just told me the same story. I don't think it's a coincidence that our daughters told us the same story. I think your sister is hiding something."

"I don't know what they're talking about Kirsten," Lindsey pleads. "Please, I'm your sister! Are you going to believe me or these girls that aren't even related to you?" She points to Taylor, Summer, and Marissa.

"I'm tempted," Kirsten says to Veronica and Julie, "but until you've got proof otherwise, I'm going to believe my sister."

"What about your deal with Zach, Lindsey? Marissa, Summer and I know all about it. Zach practically rubbed it in our faces at rehearsal." Taylor puts her hands on her hips.

"I don't know what you're talking about Townsend. I didn't make any deal."

"So you don't know anything about the deal you made with Zach regarding sexual favors?"

Lindsey's mouth drops open. "Why did he tell you that? It was supposed to be a secret!"

"Oh, he didn't. I just guessed that you would do something like that and you proved me right." Taylor looks at her mom and smiles. "I guess I am my mother's daughter. You really shouldn't mess with a Townsend."

It is Kirsten's turn to look surprised. "You _did_ make that deal? Lindsey! How could you?"

Lindsey doesn't answer, instead crossing her arms over her chest, pouting.

"What I don't understand is how in the world you were able to get information like that."

"I don't have to stand here and listen to you all bad mouth me, listen to you sit here and tell lies. I'm going home." She stomps out of the room.

Meanwhile, Kirsten's brain is making connections, connections that she wishes she wouldn't be making. Everything seems to come together; Zach's conduct after Jimmy was assaulted, her father's attitude at his party. Oh Dad, why did you do this, she asks herself.

* * *

Jimmy totals up the final stroke counts for their foursome and hands the card to Neil with a smile. Neil takes a look at it and smiles as well. "Are you sure this is your first time golfing, Seth?"

"I did terrible didn't I?" Seth hangs his head, kicks the golf cart, and begins hopping in pain. The other three had made a point of not telling him par on each hole so he wouldn't focus on it, instead focusing on his own score.

"Actually, you did great Corona." Luke claps him hard on the back, almost knocking him over. "You beat my score AND Mr. Cooper's. Dr. Roberts only beat you by four strokes and he plays all the time."

"We might have to make some more trips out to the links," Neil says, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "One stipulation though."

"Sure," Seth says, elated.

"You never wear that ungodly yellow sweater vest ever again."

"Hey, you guys ready to go?" Sandy walks over to the club house, followed by Ryan, Caleb and Zach. "How'd Seth do," he asks Neil.

"He shot an 82. A very good score, seeing as how he's never played before."

"He's a much better golfer than my daughter's boyfriend," Caleb says with a scowl. "I've never seen anybody waste more balls!"

Zach turns a very peculiar shade of purple and Seth takes a mental picture, enjoying it immensely.

"We'll be taking our leave then. Sanford, Ryan, always a pleasure." Caleb glares at Zach, who follows the older man out to the parking lot.

"How bad did he suck," Seth asks Ryan, Luke standing close.

"He was BAD."

"So what are you guys planning on doing tonight," Sandy asks Neil and Jimmy. "The boys and I are grilling up some swordfish steaks. We've still got beer left over from last night. Interested?"

Both men answer in the affirmative and, seeing that the boys have already left, directs the other two in the direction of the Rover.

_At the Cohens'_

"Full house, Kings over sevens." Ryan lays out his cards, sure enough showing three Kings over two sevens. A collective groan goes up from the other men present as he scoops up the rather large pot.

"How did you get so good at poker, Cohen," Luke asks.

Ryan shrugs.

"I can't believe my own son is beating me at poker," Sandy laments. "I can't believe I'm gambling with my son. I'm a terrible father."

"At least you have a son to play cards with," Jimmy says. "Neil and I raised little girls. We didn't get cool things like comic books and video games and action figures. No, no, no. We had Barbies and ponies and make-up."

"It could have been worse, Jimmy. I had to explain my daughter's period to her." The remaining men look at Neil, horrified. "Oh yes. That was interesting. Gloria had just left me and Summer came to tell me that she was hurt and bleeding." He chuckles and takes another drink from his beer.

"Quick request here," Seth says, raising his hand. "I'm going to have to ask for a change of topic. I've only been seeing your daughter for a few weeks, sir, and I think it might be a bit early to discuss her menstrual cycles."

Sandy laughs as he takes a drink of beer and ends up spraying it everywhere, causing everyone else to erupt into laughter.

Luke takes a look at his watch and stands up quickly. "Uhm, Mr. C? It's getting kinda late and I gotta get home." Ryan reaches for his keys, but he's stopped by Dr. Roberts' words.

"I'll take him Ryan. He's on my way." The two men say their good-bye's followed by Jimmy, who makes his way down the driveway to his own place. The remaining two boys help Sandy pick up the card table, along with the poker chips, cards, and snacks.

"So did you boys have a good time," Sandy asks the two. "It's kind of nice to get a few days away from the ladies every now and then."

"Well, I seemed to hit it off pretty well with Summer's dad. He gave me some really good advice on the links and pretty much gave me his blessing with his daughter. Golf is indeed a game of bonding."

"And it wasn't too bad watching Zach make a fool of himself on the course and Grandpa yell at him for it. Kind of made up for all the crap he's been putting us through for the past few weeks." Ryan notices his slip-up and tries to ignore it, but his father has already caught him.

"What do you mean, 'the past few weeks'? What was he involved in after the model home fire?"

"You may want to sit down, Sandy," Kirsten says, walking into the living room with her bags. "Apparently my sister has been whoring herself out to Zach Stevens, and in return he retained my father's services in making a fool out of Jimmy Cooper. Get me a glass of wine and we'll share our stories. I'm exhausted."

_The Nichol mansion_

Lindsey composes herself before entering her house, squeezing her eyes just enough to make them water. Feeling the tears running down her cheeks, she opens the door and runs in to the house.

"Daddy! Daddy! Where are you?" She runs in to his study and sees him drinking a whiskey. Time to pour it on girl, she thinks. "You'll never believe what happen-"

"Save it, Lindsey. Kirsten called me and told me she knew about everything. Apparently, she found out what happened at cotillion, along with something else. That you were _whoring_ yourself out to your idiot of a boyfriend. The same idiot that embarrassed me on the golf course today." He stands up and walks over to his daughter. "You know how I don't tolerate being made a fool of."

"Please, Daddy, I'm sorry, I am, I didn't-"

"Shut up," he roars as he reaches back and slaps her across the face.

"I'm so sorry Daddy, please stop!"

He reaches back and slaps her again, this time knocking her out of the chair she was sitting in. He picks her up off of the ground and drags her to the stairs, where she lays for a second before crawling up them to her room. He walks back to his study, righting the chair she fell out of and, sitting back at his desk, he picks up his whiskey and takes another drink. It soothes his throat. He was Caleb Nichol. He'd be damned if he was going to let his whore of a daughter and the idiot that was banging her make a fool of him. Nobody embarrasses Caleb Nichol. Nobody.

* * *

A/N: Wow, what a dark way to end that chapter. Totally not the way I wrote it out, but that's what got put up on the screen, so that's what you get. Sorry if any of the financial or spa things were totally wrong, but I've never spa'd in my life and I don't do finances. Apologies. For those who were wondering, yes, Neil is divorced. He divorced the step-monster a few years earlier here than in canon. And, no, there is no Kaitlyn here. Those that read 'Pieces' know that I dislike her as a character. Random fact of the chapter: Knickerbockers (sometimes called plus fours) were introduced to America by Edward Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII of the United Kingdom) during a diplomatic trip in 1924. They are often seen on golf courses, and frequently worn with argyle socks, silk ties, and dress shirts/sweaters. Some plus fours even came as complete suits. Please, please read and review and I hope you enjoyed reading! AZ


	7. The Fix Up

A/N: Title of this chapter goes out to Waltzy, with whom I had a good talk about being pressured to 'fix' stories. Not the same meaning, but keep 'em coming just the way they are!

* * *

"Luke, could you bring that box over here?"

"Sure Mr. Cooper. The big one?"

"Yeah. Get Ryan to help you with it. It's pretty heavy."

Luke and Ryan walk over to the large box in the foyer, each taking a side, and effortlessly carry it out the door to the waiting moving van. Walking back through the door, they almost clothesline an exiting Seth, who is carrying a box filled with Jimmy Cooper's office supplies.

"Dude, I don't know if I can carry much more. My back feels like it's about ready to give out," Seth complains.

"Come on, Corona. That's the first box that you've actually carried outside. You've been packing the entire time while Cohen and I do all of the heavy lifting."

"Well, it's good to know that you muscle monkeys are good for something," he says, dropping off the box and running back into the house to hide.

Ryan turns to the driveway as a small, white Miata pulls into the driveway of the Coopers' house. Veronica and Taylor Townsend exit the vehicle, the younger greeting her boyfriend with a wave. "Hey," Taylor says, kissing her boyfriend as she approaches. "How's the packing going?"

"About as good as you can expect." Ryan waves at Veronica as she walks up. "Even though it's consensual, Julie and Jimmy are still arguing over who gets what. Julie took a break about an hour ago."

"Drat. I was hoping to get a second to talk to her about the first school board meeting that's coming up and the Children's Hospital Benefit the week after next," Veronica says. "I didn't know Jimmy had a place already. Is he inside?"

"I think he's in the kitchen, Mrs. Townsend." Luke points into the house. "I'll walk you in. I'm sure Marissa probably needs some help." He leads Veronica into the house.

"So your spa trip went good," Ryan asks his girlfriend. "Mom told me most of what happened, but she said that you got a chance to clear the air with _your_ mom. Seems like everything is pretty good with you guys."

"Mom and I had a good, long talk at the spa. Something we should have done a long time ago. She admitted that she hasn't been the greatest mother ever, but she promised that we'd be a family again."

"I'm happy for you. So does this mean I'll be seeing her more then?"

Taylor giggles and pulls him close to her. "She said she'd stop being so severe and I told her that it wasn't all her fault. You _are_ Kirsten Cohen's son, so you're not used to a mother that isn't as loving. Trust me when I say that she likes you. We'll try and do dinner one of these nights coming up."

_Inside_

"Jimmy, how are you," Veronica asks, walking up to him and kissing him on both cheeks. "So sorry to hear about you and Julie. She told us at Catalina that you were going to be getting a divorce. How's Marissa taking it?"

Jimmy throws more papers from his desk into an empty box. "Not too terribly, I guess. Julie said that she handled the explanation that she gave her at the spa pretty well. She understands that it's what best for the family."

"I didn't know that you had a place picked out already. Where is it at?"

"Well, that's the problem. We were a little farther along in the decision process than Julie admitted to Marissa. I had a place lined up but it kind of fell through at the last moment. For right now, I'm going to be staying at a hotel and my stuff is going into storage. Julie is filing the papers tomorrow and it wouldn't really look right if I'm still here then."

"Why didn't you come and talk to me, Jimmy? I'm the biggest real estate agent in Newport Beach."

"I didn't want to make it weird for you with Julie by helping me find a place. Plus, it's kind of embarrassing. I mean, I'm getting a divorce and I can't find a place to live. I'm having my daughter's friends move me out of my house and into storage. How much more embarrassing can it get?" Jimmy sits down on the couch and huffs out a breath.

"It's not embarrassing, Jimmy." Veronica joins him on the couch. "If anything, it's commendable that you and Julie realized that you didn't love each other anymore and that this was the best thing to do to make sure your family is taken care of. And it won't do anything to my relationship with Julie. What did she have to say when you told her you didn't have a place to say?"

"Nothing, seeing as how I didn't tell her."

"James! You've got to start asking for assistance if you need it. There's no shame in asking for help every once in awhile. And you're going to start right now. With me."

Jimmy rubs his face in a sign of suffering. "Veronica, would you please help me find an apartment?"

"Of course, Jimmy. Leave the boys here to finish up with the packing and we'll go look at some places that I know are available right now." She grabs him by the arm and pulls him off the couch and into the hallway, where they see his daughter.

"Hey, kiddo. Veronica is going to take me to look at some apartments. We'll be back in a few hours. Do you think you could keep the boys in line and finish up the packing for me?"

"Sure, daddy," Marissa says and gives her father a hug. "What else is left to pack?"

"There are still some things in my office left to box up, but most of it's already done. Just make sure that the boys don't break anything. Thanks sweetie."

"We'll be back soon Taylor," Veronica is telling her daughter as Jimmy walks up to her car. "Call me if you need anything and keep these boys in line." Jimmy hops in the small car and they drive off.

* * *

Julie grabs her bag out of her car and walks into Newport General Hospital. She didn't have anything personal against her soon to be ex-husband but, after arguing with Jimmy about splitting their possessions, she just needed to get out of the house and focus on something else. The upcoming Children's Hospital Benefit was the perfect distraction. She was currently still looking for a place that would volunteer their space to host the event and one of her last options was currently in the hospital, working.

"Neil, thank you for meeting me." She greets the older man with a kiss to the cheek. "I know you're terribly busy and I don't want to bother you."

"Nonsense. What can I do for you, Julie," Neil asks, and leads the woman in the direction of his office. Opening his door and ushers her in, gesturing towards a chair facing his desk. "Is it something with your divorce? Are you and Marissa okay?"

Julie sits in the offered chair. "Surprisingly enough, that's not the problem, Neil. Jimmy cashed in his 401K which will pay for our mortgage for the next few months, along with Jimmy's rent. Who knows what we'll do after that, but that's not your problem. Right now, I'm here about the Children's Hospital Benefit. I can't find anywhere that will let me use their place for free and I'm about at my wit's end. I was wondering if you might have any ideas for a place that would be willing to help. I thought, with your connections, you might know of someone or somebody."

"I can think of someone that would be dying to help out, Julie."

"Really? That would be such a big help. You would have my eternal gratitude. Who is it?"

"Me. I'd be more than happy to help you out with throwing the Benefit party. I can invite a lot of donors from the hospital that I'm sure you don't already have on your list. I've known most of them for a long time."

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose…"

"You won't be, Julie. I'd be glad to help. Let's plan something with the girls for Thursday and talk about it."

Julie stands, followed by Neil. "Thank you so much, Neil. I appreciate everything you're doing to help and with what I've got going on in my life right now, thank you for making something a little easier."

"You're quite welcome. You know if there's anything I can do for you and Marissa…"

"You're very sweet, Neil, and a very busy man."

"I'm never to busy for you, Julie. We'll have dinner, figure something out." Neil holds out his hand, which Julie takes in her own.

"I'd like that. Good bye, Neil." She kisses him softly on the cheek and departs, leaving a startled Neil holding his cheek.

* * *

Kirsten walks into her office at The Newport Group to see her father sitting in the chair facing her desk. He turns at her approach, holding a cup of coffee, and plasters a big smile on his face. "Kiki, I-"

"Don't start with me, Dad. After everything you've done to The Coopers, especially my oldest friend Jimmy, you think that showing up at my office with coffee is going to make everything okay? It won't!" Kirsten sits down at her desk and begins to look through files, feigning work.

"Kiki, I'm sorry about what happened. Lindsey asked me to do something for her idiot of a boyfriend and I accepted. You know how I can't say no to her." Caleb's face changes into one of stone. "However, she's been disciplined and I promise that she feels sorry for what she did."

Kirsten doesn't look up from her paperwork. "You disciplined her, Dad? Like you disciplined me or like you discipline Hailey? Because, I have to say, neither one really worked out in your favor." She glares at him.

"I think you turned out a little better than Hailey. Your mother made me coddle her too much for my liking."

"So does that mean since Mom isn't around, that you're free to use the belt on Lindsey too?"

"Of course not, Kiki," Caleb says, looking offended. "I'd never use something so crude again."

"You'd better not, Dad." She finally looks up at her father. "If I find out that you laid a hand on that girl, you'll be looking for a new CFO."

"You don't have to worry about it, sweetheart." Caleb leans back in his chair, his face returning to normal. "Now, about why I came here in the first place…"

"I knew it! You didn't even come here to just apologize. You wanted to talk work!"

"It's important Kiki. You remember when we purchased the Balboa Heights a few months back?"

_Jimmy's (possibly) new apartment_

"This place looks great, Veronica," Jimmy says, walking down the stairs. Veronica looks up from where she was inspecting the floor ducts. "Two bedrooms, one for me and one in case Marissa wants to stay. I've got an office slash study slash spare bedroom. I've even got a fireplace!" He gestures towards the living room where a fireplace occupies the middle of the wall.

Veronica laughs. "Yeah because we both know how many cold nights there are here in Orange County. I was thinking more along the lines of the low rent and utilities included."

"I was talking about things besides those," Jimmy clarifies. "Seriously though, I've really got to thank you. I could never have afforded a hotel for as long as I needed and rent at all the places I looked at was outrageous."

"It's no problem, Jimmy. I'm glad to help a friend."

"No way. You're not getting off that easy. We'll do, uh, dinner. I'll m-make something," Jimmy stutters. "Or-or we can go out. Your choice."

Veronica appears to consider the offer for a second. "Sure, why not? Why don't we do something the night of the Kick-off Carnival. The girls will be out and we'll have all night to ourselves." She winks at Jimmy, who swallows nervously. "Why don't we do The Yacht Club, eight o' clock?"

"Uhm, sounds good. I'll see you there?"

Veronica eyes Jimmy. "You mean I'll pick you up?"

"Right, exactly. That's what I meant." Veronica makes a come-hither gesture and Jimmy follows her out of the apartment, to her car.

* * *

"So this is your school? It looks like a college campus!" A stunned Seth looks at Ryan, who predictably shrugs, and Luke. "It's not that big, bro. Pacific is just as big and they have one more swimming pool and gymnasium than we do."

"You have a pool? I've never even _seen_ a school that had a swimming pool of their own!"

"Actually, we have two," Ryan clarifies. Seth squawks in response. "What? One is Olympic-sized and the other is for water polo."

"We also have a theater, and auditorium, two gymnasiums, four tennis courts, two soccer fields, a football field, a baseball field, a soccer field, and a lacrosse field," Taylor says as she, Marissa, and Summer join the three boys by the stairs leading up to the main building. She kisses Ryan, says 'hello', and loops her arm through his. Marissa does the same to Luke, only substituting a make-out session in place of Ryan and Taylor's kiss. They finally break it off and see the other four looking at them.

"What," they both ask. Summer rolls her eyes and they walk up the stairs.

"So do you boys want to meet us in the lounge during break," Taylor asks.

"We can't. Coach wants Luke and I to meet him in his office during break. Something about a new policy. I don't know."

"Well, we'll be there in case you get done early," she says and the girls break away to attend the first Social Committee meeting of the year.

"So what am I supposed to do," Seth asks the other two boys as he watches Summer walk with the girls. "I mean, Summer and the girls have their Social Committee, you guys have soccer; What am I going to do, hang out at home with Sandy and Kirsten? No thanks."

"I hear the Bait Shop is hiring," Luke volunteers. "I know that manual labor doesn't really seem like your cup of tea, but it would keep you busy and you could make some extra change."

"Sorry man, but I don't do raw, live fish. What," he asks at Luke's laughing.

"The Bait Shop isn't actually a _bait shop_," Ryan clarifies. "It's like a bar for teens that has bands there every once in a while. Some band called Death Cab for Cutie is playing there next week." Seth stops in his tracks, almost causing Luke to run him over. "What?"

"I'm sorry; I thought you just said Death Cab was playing at that place next week."

"I did, why? Who is 'Death Cab'?"

"Only the greatest band ever my friend! Luke, you may have just come up with the best idea ever. I'm getting a job!"

_Coach's office, Later_

"Coach?" Ryan knocks on the door jamb and sees the older man sitting at his desk. Ryan and Luke walk in a take a seat in the offered chairs.

"Ward, Cohen, you two are my captains this year so I thought I'd let you know first. The Athletic Director wrote up a new policy this summer regarding student athletes and drug use. He's determined that drugs are a serious threat to you young people and he wants to make sure that everyone understands that. Therefore, starting tomorrow, there will be mandatory drug testing for all athletes in all sports."

"Why are they doing this," Ryan asks. "Have they had problems with drug use in the past?"

"No, but this new guy they brought in comes from a more troublesome area of the country. He is making this his personal crusade and, more importantly, he has the blessings of the school board. There's no way around this, gentlemen, so you may want to let your teammates know today at the team meeting."

Ryan and Luke stand up and leave the office. Ryan notices Luke wearing a shell shocked expression on the way out. "What's up man," he asks once they are out of earshot.

"Dude, I'm not going to pass that drug test."

"What do you mean? It's been forever since we smoked. Like, before Seth got here. It was never a regular thing so it should be out of our systems by now."

"I just smoked a bowl with this dude I know the other day."

"Who? You didn't get it off the pier, did you? You know those guys are narcs right?"

"Of course I didn't. This surfer from down on the beach named Kevin. He's got some good stuff and he's pretty chill."

Ryan slugs him. "You moron."

"Dude, I'm totally done, aren't I? I'm off the team!"

"Calm down. You'll probably be okay. You might be suspended for a couple weeks, but that'll be it. And that's if you get caught. Don't forget that Seth used to be a massive stoner before he moved here. I'm sure he's got some ideas on how to beat it. We'll ask him after school."

_The Cohens'_

"Hello my love," Sandy says as he walks in to the kitchen, sets his briefcase down, and gives his scowling wife a kiss. "Uh oh, what's wrong?"

"Sandy, were you going to tell me that your law firm was suing my father's company?" She grabs a bottle of wine from the refrigerator and pours herself a glass.

"Not if I could help it. I'm sorry," he says at Kirsten's glare, "I just thought that you wouldn't be involved in it since you were so upset at him. I don't even know if I'm going to take the case."

"Dad has proposed to protect three hundred and fifty acres of wildlife refuge _and_ add a natural park."

"He'll still add thirty percent more traffic and ten tons of air pollution daily, not to mention what it'll do to the water supply. We're talking about destroying one of the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world. It's like selling off the rain forest to profit a few wealthy individuals and asking generations and generations of others to pay for it."

"Please, Sandy. I don't know how I'll be able to deal with my husband and my father going at it in the courtroom."

"Kirsten, your dad is extremely stubborn. He's not going to want to give up the Heights. Developers have been going after that area for years." Sandy walks over to his wife and begins to massage her shoulders.

"If I try to convince my dad to settle, will you promise to at least consider it?"

Sandy kisses his wife on the neck. "I promise that I will at least consider it." He turns his wife around and begins to passionately kiss her. They are interrupted in their impromptu make-out session by their sons.

"Keep it in your pants, Dad."

"Yeah, or we may have to sit you and The Kirsten down for a little talk." Seth wags a finger at them.

"Seth, believe me when I say that we're way beyond that talk. The proof is standing right next to you, about to eat an apple." Seth looks over and sees Ryan with his mouth frozen open over an apple. He sets it back down in the bowl.

"If you're trying to get me to quit eating, you're going about it the right way."

"So how was your first day of school, boys? Learn anything new," Kirsten asks her boys.

"I learned that the new Athletic Director is making all student athletes submit to drug testing," Ryan says.

"I learned that it is possible for me to enjoy manual labor, as long as it is at a club that has bands that I love performing on the weekends," Seth says.

"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you sweetie," Kirsten says, apologetically, "but I already knew about the drug testing. Veronica told me about it after the school board meeting where it was approved."

"You'll be fine anyway, kiddo. Now if it was Seth…" Sandy puts up his hands and laughs.

"Funny, as always. Now do you want to hear what I learned?"

"Do we have a choice?"

"No, Sandman. I'm getting a job. At this place called The Bait Shop. It's a club that has bands playing on the weekends and I can get free tickets by working there. It's probably the best job ever," he says with a smile.

"Wow, manual labor?" Sandy looks at Kirsten, who is just as confused as he is. "Doesn't really seem like your idea of a good time, Seth."

"That's what I said," Ryan adds. He whispers into Seth's ear, "Dude, I really need to talk to you for a second about something."

"So, parental units, Ryan and I have things we must discuss pertaining to women and sexual positions, therefore we will excuse ourselves to the pool house."

"That's not ominous at all," Sandy says as the boys leave the kitchen and walk out to the pool house, where Luke is already playing video games.

"What's up Corona? Down for a little ass whuppin in Madden?" Luke offers him a controller.

"I've told you before man, I don't do sports games. You have anything with ninjas?" At Ryan and Luke's confused looks, "Never mind. So what's up? Why the strange 'I need to talk to you alone' in the kitchen?"

"Well, you know how I said something about drug testing in the kitchen? Seems Luke here had himself a little ganja the other day and now he might fail the drug test tomorrow. You have any ideas on how he might be able to pass it?"

Seth thinks for a minute. "Nope."

"No? Nothing?"

"Nope. All the remedies that I know of usually take a couple days to get into your system. Anything else is usually just a lie. Niacin sometimes works but you have to start taking it a few weeks beforehand. You won't be able to swap pee either. That's usually pretty supervised. They'll have someone checking your ID when you take your bottle, they'll have someone in the bathroom watching you pee, they'll have someone walk with you while you walk the pee back to the test supervisor, and they'll have someone there to take your test. There's no way you're passing this test."

Luke throws the controller and bows his head in frustration. "It's hopeless. I'm totally screwed!"

"I didn't say that amigo. Listen up. The way places usually do this kind of thing is they'll have everybody take their little bottles of pee and place it in a random spot in a five by five box. When all the places in the box are filled, the box is closed up and taped closed. The place doing the testing will pick one bottle, at random, out of each of the boxes. If that bottle tests positive, they test it again. If it still tests positive, then that person fails and they test every other bottle in that box. So you're not necessarily going to fail, you're just not going to pass. If that makes any sense. Touchdown!" Seth throws his hands up in the air and Ryan and Luke look over at the TV to see that Seth had been playing Luke the entire time he was talking and had scored a touchdown on the other boy.

_Stevens residence_

"Dude, what the hell are you doing," Chip asks as he walks into Zach's room.

"Getting totally blazed, man!" Doug holds his hand up for a high five, which Chip ignores. He turns instead to Zach.

"We've got urinalysis for water polo tomorrow! You're going to get suspended from the team for a couple games if you pop positive on your test."

"I know that, you moron. I finally figured out how to punish those two idiots, Cohen and Ward, for backing that nerd over the summer. I'm going to get totally blazed tonight and swap my test out with Ward's test tomorrow when they piss test us. It's the best idea ever," he crows and takes another hit out of the bong he's holding. Doug begins to laugh as if it's the funniest thing he's ever seen, then proceeds to shovel handfuls of chips into his mouth.

"Don't you think you're taking this obsession with screwing with Ward and Cohen a bit far? I mean, they are stupid for bailing on you, but maybe you need to drop it man."

"Fuck off Chip," Zach responds as he exhales. "Get the hell out of here before you get a contact high, you fag."

_Cooper household_

"Hey sweetie. How was your day? Is Social Committee going well?"

"Not too bad, Mom. Taylor and I have been able to get a lot of work done on the Kick-off Carnival, despite Lindsey being there."

"Lindsey is in Social Committee? Since when?"

"Mom, Lindsey has been on Social Committee since last year, the same year I got on Social Committee. It's not too bad actually. She's not really acting the same. She just basically sits there the entire time, never says anything, and then goes home at the end. There's either something wrong with her or she's planning something. I'm thinking she's planning something."

"Be careful with that girl, Marissa," Julie warns. "She's really sneaky."

"I know. What's up with you?" Marissa sits down with her mom on the couch.

"Well, I'm glad you asked sweetie, because there are a couple things I wanted to talk to you about. First thing is that, I've been talking with your father since the whole divorce thing, and we both think it would be good for you to talk to a therapist. We don't think there's anything wrong with you Marissa, we just want you to have somebody that you can talk to about things that you can't bring up with us."

"Okay, I guess I can do that."

Julie looks surprised. "Just an okay? No throwing a fit or yelling or screaming?"

"No, I think it's probably a good idea. Taylor said it really helped her out when she was younger that she had someone that she could talk to about things. I figure that it could probably help me a little too. Are we going to be able to afford it?"

"Yeah, we'll be able to afford it. Marissa, I'm so proud of you. You're growing up so fast." Julie starts to cry as she draws her daughter into a hug.

"Don't get all emotional, Mom. It's not a big deal. Now what's the second thing?"

"Oh, right. Well I went to talk to Neil Roberts at the hospital the other day. We needed a place to host the Children's Hospital Benefit and I didn't have anyone that was willing to help out. Neil generously donated his home for the benefit and invited you and me over for dinner with him and Summer on Thursday."

"That sounds like fun but I don't think Summer or I will be able to go. We'll be having a last minute meeting that night to set up for Kick-off Carnival."

"Well what if we moved it to a day earlier in the week?"

"Sorry Mom, but I'm the co-chair. Taylor and I are going to be busy all week. I don't think I'm going to be able to make it. Why don't you just have dinner with Dr. Roberts by yourself," she asks as she goes up to her room.

Why not, indeed, Julie asks herself as she retrieves the phone off of the stand. She dials the number for the Roberts' house that Marissa so conveniently posted next to the phone so many years ago.

_Aloha, Roberts residence. Summer speaking._

"Hello Summer. This is Julie Cooper. Is your father around?"

_He's here somewhere. Let me try and find him. Sorry about not being able to do dinner by the way._

"How did you know about dinner? Did your father ask you already?"

_He asked me earlier and I just got a text from Marissa. We really are going to be busy with Social Committee; we're not just blowing you off._

"Thank you, Summer. I appreciate that."

_Oh, here's my dad. Later!_ Slight pause and the sound of shuffling _Julie, how are you?_

"I'm doing fine, Neil, thank you for asking."

_I suppose that Summer already told you that she wouldn't be making it to dinner Thursday?_

"Yes, and I just had the same conversation with Marissa."

_Well, I'm sorry to hear that we won't be having dinner this week like I'd hoped._

"Actually, I was thinking that, just because the girls aren't going to be joining us, doesn't mean that we can't enjoy a night out on our own. Why don't we do it on Friday when they're all at the carnival?"

_That's a great idea Julie. I'm actually on call for the first part of the day and then I have rounds, but why don't we make it a late dinner? How does eight o' clock at The Yacht Club sound?_

"I think that sounds like a date, Neil. See you then."

* * *

"So you ready to do this, man," Ryan asks Luke, who is standing next to him in line.

"I don't think I've ever had to piss so much in my life, Cohen. I've been holding it for, like two hours. I think my dick is going to burst from the pressure."

"Take it easy, you're going to be okay. Just look for the guys that are least likely to smoke pot and put your cup in their box." Ryan grabs a small cup, shows the attendant his student ID, and receives his label, which he places on his cup. Luke follows the same procedure, places his label on the cup, turns to go into the bathroom, and almost runs into Zach.

"Watch it, Ward," Zach growls and picks up his cup.

"Jesus, Zach. You look like crap." Zach does indeed look like crap, hair unkempt, face unshaven, and eyes bloodshot. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, asshole. Watch where you're going next time." Zach leaves for the bathroom.

Luke scowls at Zach as he picks up his own cup, not noticing that Zach has swapped the two cups, and he is now carrying the cup with Zach's name on it.

_5 Minutes Later_

"Dude what took you so long," Luke asks as Ryan finally sets his cup down on the table and walks away.

"I'm sorry that my bladder wasn't full to its bursting point."

"So…now the waiting game." Luke looks over and sees Zach set his cup down. "Maybe he'll fail _his_ test. He looks like he just smoked a whole bag of pot."

"Zach wouldn't do something that stupid. He knows better. Now let's focus on the upcoming Kick-off carnival. There's nothing to do about the testing until Friday, so we might as well let it go until then."

* * *

_Friday, Coach's office_

"Ward, Cohen, what are you two doing here? We didn't have a meeting scheduled for today, did we?" The man turns to his calendar to check the date.

"No, Coach, we didn't have a meeting. Cohen and I know you got the results from the drug testing back today and we were wondering if-"

"-if anybody on the team failed," Ryan finishes for a nervous Luke. "As captains, we figured it would be best if we could tell the person themselves."

"I like that you men are willing to take responsibility on this, but I can't really disclose that information to you. It's also a moot point since nobody on the team failed."

Luke lets out a sigh of relief. "That's great! I mean…that's great because we don't want to be shorthanded for out game next week."

"Sure, Ward. Listen, I don't care what you're up to, as long as it doesn't screw you up and you don't get caught. Now, tell me you don't know what I'm talking about and get out of here."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Coach," the boys chant and leave the office. Around the corner, Luke leans against the wall and takes a breath. He lets it out slowly.

"I think I dodged a bullet there, Cohen. I'm done with weed, man. No more for me."

"Smartest thing I've heard you say all week," Ryan says with a smile. He claps his friend on the back and they begin to walk down the hall, only to be stopped by Zach pushing Luke. "What the hell, Zach? I thought we were done with all of this?"

"Shut up Cohen," Zach says with a snarl. "I want to know how Luke here got out of trouble and I get a two match suspension!"

"They must not have tested my sample," Luke says. "How did you pop positive though? You don't really seem like the drug using type."

"I don't get it! You were supposed to be the one suspended, not me. I spent all night Monday smoking pot with Doug so I would pop positive on that test. When I took your cup, I figured that the plan was fool proof. How did you not test positive," he yells, grabbing Luke by the collar. Luke looks at Ryan and begins to laugh. "What's so funny jerk-off? I asked you a question!"

Luke pushes Zach off of him, still laughing. "You idiot. It takes a little more than a day for the weed to get in your system. The stuff you smoked the night before wasn't going to make you pop. Maybe if you'd smoked it a few days earlier, like I did." Luke nods at Zach's wide eyed look. "Yeah, I was already going to pop positive on that test. You totally saved me a suspension. That's why I was laughing." He starts laughing again and soon, Ryan joins him. They both walk off, leaving behind a stunned (and soon-to-be-suspended) Zach.

* * *

The doorbell rings at Jimmy's new apartment and he walks down the stairs to answer the door. Behind it stands Veronica Townsend, dressed to, in Jimmy's eyes, perfection. "Veronica, you look…wow."

"Well thank you, Jimmy." She walks into his apartment, looking around with an appraising eye, as she is prone to do. "The place looks great. You got all of your stuff moved in pretty quick."

"It helps to have three teenage boys that are friends with my daughter," he says with a laugh. "Between Luke and Ryan doing the heavy lifting, Seth helping me with my office, and the girls putting together the bedrooms, we were all done with everything by Wednesday."

"So are you ready to go," Veronica asks. "Our reservations are for fifteen minutes from now."

"I'm ready. Let's go." Jimmy follows Veronica out to her car and locks the door to his new apartment.

_The Cooper household_

"Neil, how are you? Come in, come in." Julie holds the door open for Neil Roberts, who enters the Cooper household.

"I don't think I've been here for awhile, Julie. The last time had to have been…probably two years ago, for Marissa's birthday party. The day before Gloria left," he muses.

"So much has changed since then. Who would have thought that we'd both be going to dinner, not with our significant others, but with each other?"

"No matter how improbably, I'm glad to be spending the evening with you, Julie. You look smashing," he says, smiling.

"Thank you, Neil. You're looking very dapper tonight, as well. Was work busy?"

"Actually, it was a pretty slow day at the hospital. No major emergencies, so I was able to leave a little early and clean myself up."

"Would you like a drink before we leave? I think Jimmy left a bottle of scotch when he moved out."

Neil looks at his watch. "I think we'd better get moving if we're going to make our reservations. I'll be happy to take you up on that scotch when we get there."

_The Kick-off Carnival_

"So I take it we'll be skipping the Ferris Wheel again this year?"

"Yup. You won't be seeing me that high off of the ground."

Taylor rolls her eyes at her boyfriend's refusal to get on that particular ride. "Don't you think you're a little old to be afraid of heights? Ryan glares at her. "Right. Sorry."

"Why are you afraid of heights," Seth asks the other boy.

"I'm not afraid," he clarifies, "I just don't understand why anybody would want to be that high up off of the ground."

"It's not Ryan's fault," Marissa adds. "I think Luke is probably the one to blame."

"I sense a story coming up," Seth says, making a come-on gesture. "Go ahead, baste me."

"It's not really a story, Corona. Cohen and I went to the amusement park when we were younger and rode the roller coaster. I pretended like I was going to fall off the entire time and I think it freaked him out a little."

"And ever since, poor little Cohen has been afraid of heights," Summer finishes.

"I'm not afraid," Ryan says again, however, nobody seems to be listening.

"Well, Summer dearest, _I'm_ not afraid of heights. Would you like to take a ride with me," he says winking, taking a smack upside the head for his innuendo. "I meant on the Ferris Wheel woman! _Those_ rides are not to be discussed in public, as per your stipulation." Summer turns red and drags Seth, who is wearing a big, shit-eating grin, to the Ferris Wheel.

"So how does Seth like his new job," Taylor asks.

"Well, he hates the work, but he loves the benefits. They have him cleaning toilets, mopping floors, and cleaning glasses. He's not really much for manual labor, as I'm sure you know, but he seems pretty psyched up for these concerts coming up. Somebody called 'Death Cab' is coming next week and a few weeks later is Rooney."

"Rooney is coming," Marissa asks, looking excited.

"Not you too," Ryan groans. "I'm sure Seth will be getting us all tickets so you don't have to worry about being able to go."

"I love Rooney! Come on, Luke, win me some prizes and I'll tell you _all_ about them." She pulls a protesting Luke away from the other two.

"Later, Cohen."

"Later, man." Ryan puts his arm around Taylor's shoulders and holds her closer. "And then there were two. What do you want to do? I was thinking something manly, like I can knock down some bottles with a ball or shoot up some paper target with a fake gun and win you a cheap stuffed animal."

"Or we can skip the carnival and go down to the beach and watch the tide change. We haven't had much alone time lately and I don't really care about being here right now." She takes his hand with hers. "I just want to spend some time with you."

"We could ride the Ferris Wheel," Ryan suggests.

"Oh shut up," she says as they walk in the direction of the beach.

_The Yacht Club_

"I'll have a scotch on the rocks and the lady will have a…" Jimmy looks at Veronica.

"I'll take a glass of Merlot." The waiter disappears with their drink orders and leaves them each a menu.

"So, I know that I've probably worn this out over the past couple days, but I can't thank you enough for setting me up with that apartment. It keeps me in the area and gives me somewhere that I can stay for cheap while I try to get back on my feet."

"As I've said before, you're more than welcome Jimmy. Although, I can't say it was for entirely altruistic reasons. That commission boosted me into the next bonus bracket with my firm." The waiter returns with their drinks. "I'm just kidding Jimmy. It was my pleasure. I couldn't very well leave you out in the cold, could I? I know what a tough time you're going through and I'm glad to help out."

"I think a toast is in order, then." He holds his glass out over the table and Veronica's joins it. "To me and a new start in my apartment, and to you, for helping me get my foot in the door, literally. Cheers."

"Cheers." Veronica clinks her glass against Jimmy's. They share a steamy look across the table, until it is interrupted by a startled exclamation from the door.

"James?"

Jimmy looks over to the door and sees his soon-to-be ex-wife walking into The Yacht Club with Neil Roberts. "Jules? What are you doing here?"

"I'd ask you the same thing, but it appears pretty obvious." Julie turns to Veronica, her demeanor icy. "Good to see you too, Veronica."

"It's not what you think, Jules. Veronica set me up with my apartment. I took her out to dinner to say thank you."

"Oh my God! I'm sorry, you two. I didn't mean to…well, I guess I did, but I'm sorry. Actually, I'm here with Neil for the same reason." Neil reaches over and shakes Jimmy's hand. "He volunteered his house for the Children's Hospital Benefit next week."

"Well, I couldn't very well leave Julie without a place to host the event. I figured it was the only natural thing to do, since I'm with the hospital as an advisor." Neil looks over and sees the host standing near what must be their table. "I think the host is getting impatient so I think we'll be off. You two enjoy your dinner."

"Whoa, wait a second Neil. Why don't you and Jules join Veronica and I?" He looks at Veronica, who nods her assent. "We're all friends here and Julie and I separated on good terms. We'll make an evening of it."

"That is an excellent idea, James," Julie says, and sits down at the seat between Veronica and her ex. She motions for Neil to take the seat opposite her on the table. "Waiter! Two more menus, please."

_The Nichol Mansion_

Kirsten knocks on the door of her father's house, holding a file of papers that he asked her to bring to the office tomorrow. She had planned on taking a day to be alone with her husband so, instead of making him wait until Monday, she was bringing them over now.

The door opens to reveal her younger sister, Lindsey, without make-up and dressed down for the evening. "Lindsey? I was looking for Dad." She notices her youngest sister's state of dress. "You're not going to the Carnival?"

"No, I don't feel so good. Dad's in his study." She steps back to let her sister pass.

Kirsten walks into the house, but stops as she sees the mark on Lindsey's face, partially obscured with concealer. "What happened?! That looks terrible!"

"It's nothing," she says trying to hide her face. "I ran into the door upstairs." Lindsey tries to run away but it stopped by Kirsten's hand on her shoulder. "Let me go, Kiki."

"Did Dad do this? You can tell me sweetie."

"Why? So you can go tell those three little brats that you love more than me? So they can look at me with pity? No thanks. Why don't you go do what you have to do with Dad and go away?" She shakes off her sister's hand and runs upstairs, to her room.

Kirsten storms into her father's study, where he is currently on the phone. She yanks the instrument out of his hand and hangs it up.

"What are you doing, Kirsten? That was a very important call!"

"What did I tell you Dad? What did I tell you would happen if I found out that you were laying a hand on Lindsey?"

"I don't know what that little brat told you-"

Kirsten stares at him. "Oh, she didn't tell me anything, Dad. You've already got her under your thumb. That doesn't mean that I don't know what's going on, though. I remember what you were like when I was young, but I thought maybe you'd changed after all these years. It turns out I was wrong."

"You and I both know that you won't quit, Kiki."

"I'm not quitting Dad. I love my job, and I'm not going to give it up so that you can feel better. But, outside our office, I have nothing more to say to you. You're on your own with The Balboa Wetlands case. Good luck. You'll need it." She throws the stack of papers down on the desk and walks out of his study.

_The Yacht Club, Later_

"I remember that day," Veronica says, laughing. "Taylor came home, covered in make-up, asking me if she looked pretty. I had the hardest time telling her to wash it off with a straight face. How did those three even get into your make-up kit anyway, Julie?"

"I must have left it out on the counter that morning. They probably went through about four hundred dollars worth of make-up!" Julie joins her friend in laughing.

"It's hard to believe they're growing up so fast. Just think that in three more years, they'll be off to college. It's hard to believe we'll all be alone again." Neil sips his scotch.

"Well, not all of us, I hope," Veronica says, looking at Jimmy with a hungry look in her eyes. Jimmy jumps as he feels her stocking clad feet stroking his inner thigh, something Julie and Neil seem to miss. "I mean, all four of us are single again. You'd think that at least one or two of us may end up moving on."

"Or all four of us," Julie adds, looking at Neil. Neil clears his throat and checks his wrist.

"It seems to be getting rather late. We might want to be home before the kids get back from the carnival."

"Good call, Neil. So, I will schedule that tee time for next Saturday," Jimmy asks, shaking his hand.

"Of course, James. I'll clear my schedule." Neil stands, followed closely by Julie.

"And we'll meet up tomorrow at the country club for yogalates, right Veronica?" Veronica nods.

"I'll see you there, Julie." Julie and Neil take their leave.

"I think it's probably time for us to go, too," Veronica says. "I don't want Taylor thinking all of our bonding at Catalina was for naught and that I'm ditching her for a new man." She winks at Jimmy, who blushes. He follows her out to the car and she drives him back to his new apartment, pulling up to the drive.

"I had an amazing evening, Jimmy. Thank you for dinner."

"I should be thanking you. Again. For everything."

"I can think of a way you can thank me, James."

Am I really going to do this? Am I going to kiss my ex-wife's friend? Screw it, she's hot, Jimmy thinks to himself and capture's Veronica's lips with his own. An extended make-out session follows, until Jimmy breaks it off.

"I'm sorry, I don't know if I can do this right now. With everything going on and my divorce not even finalized, I think-"

"It's okay, Jimmy." Veronica chuckles. "I'm not asking you to marry me or anything. I think you're a great guy and you're going through something hard right now. I thought that this would be something I could do for you. A little no strings attached, stress relief, if you get my drift."

Jimmy stares straight ahead for a second. He finally turns back to face Veronica. "Can I have a few days?"

"Of course, Jimmy. Any time that you want to continue this, let me know." Jimmy steps out her vehicle. "You're a good man, James. Don't let anyone tell you different." He stares at her as she backs out of the drive, waves, and drives off.

"What a kick in the pants," he mumbles to himself and walks into his apartment.

* * *

A/N: Real short one here. I enjoyed this chapter a lot more than the last one I typed up, so I hope it shows. Unless I get absurd amounts of extra time this week, this chapter will be the only update. I've got packing to do! Yay for going home! Random fact of the chapter: International laws require any whisky bearing the label "Scotch" to be distilled in Scotland and matured for a minimum of three years and one day in oak casks, among other, more specific criteria. Please review and I hope you enjoy!

AZ


	8. The Relations

"Oh, that was great," Veronica purrs as she rolls off of Jimmy. "Have I told you how much I love our little morning get-togethers?"

"Only every day. I'm sure that I love them just as much as you do. Actually I know I do. So what's on the agenda for today?" Jimmy sits up on his elbow.

"Immediate plans consist of you taking my car and going for breakfast. After that, I'm meeting Taylor for lunch. I made plans with her yesterday to go out to this new restaurant in town."

"Speaking of, are we ever going to mention that particular elephant that is sitting in the room. We're going to have to tell our daughters that we're seeing each other. I can't keep lying to Marissa and giving her some excuse about why we can't see each other."

"I'm not asking you to lie, Jimmy. You just need to start getting more creative."

"V…"

"I know, I know. It's just that we've both been getting along so well with them and I don't want it to all be for naught. I don't want Taylor to think that I was lying to her in Catalina when I told her that I wanted to reconnect with her."

"So when, or what, are we going to tell them?"

"For right now, we're not going to tell them anything. We'll bring it up after the holidays, when everything is a little less chaotic."

"That's a few weeks from now, V. You don't think that they'll figure out something is going on by then? Our daughters are pretty smart."

"You worry too much, Jimmy. Now," she shakes her keys at him, "I'm thinking pancakes. Wheat. With mountains of eggs. No yolks."

Jimmy grabs the keys and pulls on a pair of sweats. "Yeah, yeah," he mutters. "I've never seen someone insist on healthy after-sex food."

_The driving range_

"Nice shot, Julie. You're really taking to golfing well."

Julie places another ball on the tee. "I can't take all the credit, Neil. I _do_ have an excellent teacher."

Neil blushes. "Focus on this one, Julie. Pick a flag out there and see if you can place your ball next to it.

Julie swings and solidly connects with the small, white ball. It travels through the air, stopping near a plain white flag. She hops a bit and throws her hands into the air. "I did it!"

"Great job. I'm proud of you." He pulls her into an embrace, which quickly turns into a kiss, which turns into a make-out session. Neil breaks the contact after a moment. "I don't mean to bring you down, Julie, but we need to talk." He motions to a nearby bench, where they both sit down. "I know that we've been trying to be coy about seeing each other, for our professional careers as well as our personal lives, but I'm not sure how much longer I can keep hiding this from Summer. She's starting to ask questions about where I'm always disappearing to. I'm not sure if my excuses about early morning procedures are working any more."

"I know, Neil. I think Marissa is starting to suspect as well. Not that we're together," she clarifies at Neil's horrified look, "just that I'm seeing someone. Our daughters are too smart to fool for too long. I'm surprised they haven't found anything out already. I just think that now isn't the best time, at least for Marissa. She'll be starting therapy soon, my divorce is just finalized, and our first holiday without Jimmy is coming up. Now may not be the greatest time to mention that I'm dating the father of one of her best friends."

"So do you want to wait until after Thanksgiving?"

"I think that would be best, yes."

"Okay, I'll defer to you on this one. Summer has seemed a bit distracted lately. She's got her own relationship to deal with and I think that might be keeping us off of her radar. She's very intuitive."

"Somebody sounds a little jealous," Julie says with a smile. "Are you getting along with Seth?"

"I'm not jealous. I happen to like Seth a lot. It's just that I remember a time in when I was the only man in Summer's life. Things have changed so much since then. She's growing up too fast."

"Well, does it help to know that you're the only man in _my_ life," Julie asks as she leans in and kisses him passionately.

_Jimmy Cooper's apartment_

"So what exactly ARE we doing for Luke's birthday," Taylor asks as she gets out of Marissa's vehicle.

"If it's anything like previous years, we'll probably go hang out at his place for awhile so his parents can throw him his party. After that, I'm guessing we'll end up down at the beach so he and Ryan can get in a little night surfing. That's all that usually ends up getting planned."

"So what did you get him? I got him a carton of bars of board wax. Ryan said that he was running out and kept borrowing his."

"Carson told me that they got him a new surfboard so I got him a new wetsuit." Marissa unlocks the door to her father's apartment using the spare key he gave her and she and Taylor enter.

"Back so soon," a familiar voice asks from upstairs. "You had better have my food. I'm starving after being up _all night long_." Veronica Townsend comes bouncing down the stairs, wearing nothing but a pair of panties and a smile. The smile fades when she realizes who just walked in, and is replaced by a look of horror and a severe blush. She quickly crosses her arms over her chest.

"Mom?! What are you doing here?" Taylor covers her eyes and motions to the couch where one of Jimmy's shirts is laying.

Veronica grabs the shirt and pulls it over her head. "Taylor, this isn't what it looks like at all."

"You mean you weren't topless in my dad's room," Marissa asks sarcastically.

"Well, uh, Marissa…you see-" Veronica begins.

"And you don't have that after sex glow?" Taylor plugs her nose in disgust. "Ugh, or smell."

"Young lady, I don't know what you're talking about." Veronica crosses her arms over her chest and looks away. "There's no such thing as an after sex glow or smell."

"After Ryan is done with me, he _always_ says I have the after sex glow," her daughter says with a smirk.

Veronica's face carries a more interesting expression; a cross between a fish face and what one's expression might be if one were startled by a ghost. Fear mixed with surprise.

"You know what? It's way to early to have this conversation." Marissa dismisses Taylor's mother with a wave of her hand. "When you and my father want to have this conversation and are more appropriately dressed, call us." The two teenagers walk out of the apartment leaving behind a very underdressed Veronica Townsend.

_Back at the driving range_

Seth pops the trunk to the Rover and pulls out the clubs belonging to one Sandy Cohen. He hands them to a waiting Summer, locks the vehicle, and they head to the clubhouse. "I'm not saying that you didn't kick ass on the miniature golf course," he says as he takes the club bag back from his girlfriend. "The part where you threw that kid's ball because he was taking forever was especially funny."

Summer narrows her eyes at the tall, skinny boy. "Hey! There was a ten stroke limit and I had to pee."

"I just think that putting may be a little premature, seeing as how you've never swung a golf club, prior to that putter, in your life."

"How hard can it be," Summer asks as Seth sets down the clubs. "I mean, if your uncoordinated, lanky ass can do it, then I'm sure I can too."

"Well at least I know that my sarcastic sense of humor is contagious."

"Hopefully that's the only thing about you that's contagious."

"Oh, hardy har har." Seth walks into the clubhouse, gets two buckets of balls, and they go back outside.

"Think of it this way. If you can teach me to play golf, we'll have so much more time to work on my humor. And you can teach me how to swing this huge thing," Summer says as she pulls out the driver from the bag.

"Trust me when I say that you're already an expert in handling huge shafts, Summer. Hey, what do you say we go back to your place and play a little 'Hide the One Wood'?

Summer slaps him on the shoulder. "Ewww! If you ever say that again, I'll show you exactly how good I am at hitting little white balls."

Seth mock-bows. "Sincerest apologies, milady. Now, let's go tee off. I'll show you a better use for that driver than hitting me in the crotch." He directs her to an empty golf mat.

"Is that my dad," Summer asks and points to an older, grey-haired gentleman sitting at a bench.

"It looks like it. Why?"

"He told me that he was going to the office this morning, and that he'd be there all day. I wonder what he's doing here?"

"Is that Julie Cooper with him?"

"Oh hell no!" Summer starts to storm off in her father's direction, but is stopped by Seth.

"Just hold on a second. Maybe he's just giving her golfing lessons. You know, tinkering with her swing?" He sees Julie kiss Dr. Roberts very passionately. "Or maybe your dad is banging your best friend's mom," he says, raising his arms in a what-can-you-do gesture.

"Shut up Seth," she whispers. She grabs her boyfriend and drags him away from the driving range area.

_The Beach_

Ryan looks at his watch. Realizing that it's almost time to meet Luke, he strips off his wet suit, grabs his board and heads for his Jeep. Wringing out his wet suit, he places it along with his surfboard in the back of the vehicle. He takes out his keys, but stops short of getting in his vehicle when he sees a very familiar redhead sitting at a lifeguard stand. He debates with himself for a while on whether he wants to bother and ends up heading in her direction. "Hey," he says. "Everything okay?"

"What do you care," Lindsey asks. "I thought you hated me."

"I don't like you, that's true enough, but I don't hate you. Family does mean something other than people you're related to."

Lindsey seems to consider this for a minute. "After everything I've done to you and your friends, you're still willing to sit here and listen to my problems?" In response Ryan sits down on the lifeguard stand next to his aunt. She looks at him in wonder. "You're too nice sometimes."

Ryan shrugs. "So what's up? Everything okay with Zach?"

It's Lindsey's turn to shrug. "Who knows? I haven't talked to him since the whole golfing thing. We never really connected anyway. I mean, the whole reason we hooked up in the first place was because I needed a date to Cotillion and he wanted to show up Summer Roberts. Look how well that worked out."

"So if it's not about Zach, what's going on? Is it Grandpa?" Lindsey doesn't answer, choosing instead to attempt to make herself smaller. "I had a feeling. He's not a nice person. What's up?"

"I don't want to talk about it. And you're wrong about him. He's a good person." She gets frustrated and stands up. "Why are you here anyway? Don't you have to get back to your little whore, Dorksend?"

Ryan stands up as well and blocks her path off of the stand. "I'm sorry if I brought up a touchy subject, but your little distraction techniques aren't going to piss me off. Sit back down." He points to the deck and Lindsey, however reluctantly, takes her seat.

"Does anyone ever tell you no?" Ryan just looks at her. "Right. So how long are you going to keep me here, bugging me?" She feigns annoyance, and looks at her watch.

"Until you tell me at least part of the reason why you're sitting here, looking like some suicidal naval widow." Ryan sits back down next to her, earning a glare of his own. He ignores it. "Does it have something to do with you and Mom?"

"Actually, that is part of it, and something I'm willing to talk about."

"Well, spit it out. I've been known, on occasion, to be a good listener."

"I don't know. Sometimes I just get the feeling that my sister hates me. We hardly ever talk, she loves those three bit-" Ryan shakes his head and she stops herself. "She loves those three _girls_ and the boy she adopted more than she loves me."

"Do you remember when it first came out that you were Grandpa's daughter from an affair," Ryan asks, staring out at the water.

"Uh, yeah. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Mom locked herself in her closet for two days straight. I had to bring meals in and slide them under the door. Dad thinks that she peed in a cup that was in there, but we don't know for sure. Bottom line, she didn't want to talk to anybody."

"Okay, that's just gross. Is there a point to this?"

"The point is, why do you think that she didn't want to talk to anybody? Do you think it had anything to do with Grandma dying not too long before that? Then she had to deal with the fact that her dad cheated on her mom right before she died. That was a really bad time for her. She would never blame Grandpa, just like you'll probably never tell me what's going on between you and him, so who do you think took all the blame? You did, fair or not. About Taylor, Marissa, and Summer, they've been hanging around my house since we were little. They're as good as daughters, as far as Mom is concerned. It's unfortunate, it really is, but you're going to have to reach out and connect with her if you want things to change between you two. She doesn't hate you, I promise. What," he asks when Lindsey just stares instead of responding.

"Nothing. It's just that I don't think I've ever heard you say so much at one time."

"Yeah, well, if Seth were here, he'd say something along the lines of me not talking for the next couple months to make up for it." Lindsey chuckles and Ryan grins. "Seriously though? Go talk to her. Tell her that you want things to be different. She'll love that." Ryan stands and begins to walk down the ramp.

"Wait, that's it?" Lindsey stands. "You're not going to try to get the story about Dad out of me?"

"If you were going to say something, you would have already. Besides," he throws over his shoulder, "you're a Nichol. You'll figure it out."

_The Cohen residence_

Sandy Cohen takes a sip of his coffee, enjoying the lazy Saturday and eternally grateful that Rachel wasn't insisting on meeting to discuss the Balboa Heights case. Again. After the disaster that was the settlement conference, he was fairly certain that he wanted to spend as little time in the office as possible and that his father-in-law, Caleb Nichol, was the devil. The man insisted that he was cheating on Kirsten with Rachel, go as far as describing the deed that occurred (in his mind) in graphic detail. How his beautiful and oh so understanding wife came from that monster, just blew his mind.

The bagel slices he is waiting on pop out of the toaster and he catches both, playing hot potato with them until he can place them on the waiting plate. Coating the warm circles with large amounts of cream cheese, he picks up the first slice and is just preparing to bite into it when the newest member to his family walks in, followed closely by his girlfriend, Summer Roberts. He places the slice back on the plate.

"Morning, kids! Bagel," he asks, holding out the plate containing the two slices of bagel, both of which are taken by the two teenagers. Sandy smiles and shakes his head. He grabs two more bagels, slices them, and puts them in the toaster. "So I know it's a beautiful weekend but you two are up awful early. What's up?"

Seth swallows the bite of bagel in his mouth. "Apparently Dr. Roberts' sex drive is what's up."

"Seth! I said no more jokes about my dad's sex drive or him having sex or anything. That's just…eww."

"So your dad has himself a new girlfriend Summer? Good for Neil. I'm glad he found somebody to spend some time with." Sandy removes the second bagel he has toasted from the machine and looks around for the plate, which is currently in the hands of his clueless son.

"He's doing the bone dance with Julie Cooper," Seth says, holding a mostly eaten bagel in one hand, an empty plate in the other. He begins to grind his hips against Summer, who starts laughing and pushes him off.

"Stop it! Seriously!"

Sandy is so stunned by this revelation that he forgets that he is holding two halves of an extremely hot bagel. They quickly heat up the palms of his hand and he yelps as he throws them on the counter.

"Are you okay," Kirsten asks, walking into the kitchen. "I thought I heard a yell." She turns to Seth. "What happened?"

"I don't know. All I said was that Julie Cooper is doing the horizontal tango with Dr. Roberts." He gives a squeal of his own as Summer kicks him in the shin.

Kirsten hands her husband some ice wrapped in a washcloth, puts another sliced bagel in the toaster and turns back to Seth. "Now tell me again what Julie Cooper is up to, because I know you didn't just say what I thought you did."

"Why, what did Corona just say about Marissa's mom?" Luke, Ryan, Marissa and Taylor walk into the kitchen, joining the others.

"She's doing the missionary mambo with Summer's dad."

"Right on!" Luke holds up his hand to high five Summer. She just shakes her head.

"Graphic Seth," Marissa says with a grimace. "Thanks for telling me that my mother is on the rebound, in so many words. That makes it two for two, I guess."

"What do you mean, Coop," Summer asks. "Who is your dad sharing a bed with?"

"My mom," Taylor says as the bagel slices pop up from the toaster. Nobody moves to remove them. "We found my mother topless in Jimmy Cooper's apartment this morning."

"So let me get this straight girls. My two best friends are sleeping with my husband's two best friends?" Kirsten looks at Taylor, Marissa, and Summer, who all nod. "Oh, I'm _so_ not getting involved."

"Look at it like this, girls," Sandy says, schmearing the bagel slices and finally taking a bite, "After so many years of you and Summer and Taylor living at each other's houses, now you'll finally be real sisters."

The girls all get excited looks on their faces and begin to talk at the same time.

"Oh my God! We totally have to go plan the weddings!"

"I know! Who's house are we going to live in?"

"I don't know! Let's go over to each other's houses and we'll pick out our rooms!"

The three girls leave, completely forgetting the presence of their boyfriends in their excitement.

"Wait, so _we're_ only," Seth counts on his fingers, "three long term commitments away from us guys being related, admittedly by marriage, but related nonetheless."

"Isn't it a little bit early to thinking about marriage, boys?" Kirsten takes the other half of the schmeared bagel from Sandy, who glares at his wife.

"Mom, you know Taylor. It's only a matter of time before she realizes what Seth already has. Thanks for getting them started on that line of thought Dad."

"Yeah Mr. C. Are you trying to torture us?"

Kirsten walks over to the phone. "I'm going to call those four and have them over for a little discourse on the proper way to have adult relations." She begins to dial.

"Please don't say 'relations'," Seth pleads.

_The Next Day_

Ryan knocks on the door to the Townsend house, and steps back from the door, waiting for it to be answered. The door is opened a moment later by his girlfriend's mother, Veronica Townsend.

"Mrs. Townsend." He looks around through the door. "Is Jimmy Cooper here," he says, pretending innocence.

"Ryan, always a pleasure. I take it my daughter spilled the beans on our relationship. You know, I think I liked you better when you were scared of me. You don't do 'smug' very well. Quiet and broody suits you better," she says, moving aside to allow him entry. "Although my daughter seems to prefer you as sweaty and exhausted." Ryan's face pales. "Apparently you seem to bring out the post-coital 'glow' in her. You _have_ to share your technique with Jimmy." Her face carries a sly smile.

"I'm going to go up and see Taylor." Ryan begins to take the steps two at a time in his hurry to get away from Veronica.

Yep, I've still got it, Veronica thinks to herself as she watches the younger boy stumble up the steps in his hurry to get away from her.

Ryan knocks on the door to his girlfriend's room and, without waiting for an answer, he walks in. He doesn't see Taylor, but the light in her closet is on and he can hear music coming from that direction. He walks in and sees her in _her_ underwear. She is looking through a selection of bras in a drawer. Ryan decides to scare her. "Hey," he says in a deep, sexually laced voice.

Taylor drops the prospective bra and covers her chest with her hands. Her frightened look changes to one of annoyance when she realizes who it is that just startled her. "Ryan Cohen! Didn't your mother ever tell you that you were supposed to knock before you entered someone's room?" She turns back to her bra selection.

"Didn't _your_ mother ever tell you that you shouldn't walk around topless? Oh, wait. I guess she didn't." His last comment earns him a glare. "I knocked and you never answered. Besides," he adds as he hugs her from behind, "I wouldn't have wanted to miss this sight." He places soft little kisses on her collarbone, something he knew from prior experience would drive her crazy.

"Ryan! My mom is right downstairs," she hisses.

"I'll be quiet, I promise." He moves up her neck to the spot behind her ear that would drive her over the edge.

Taylor whimpers in response, turns around and jumps into his arms. "I might not be though."

_30 minutes later_

Taylor strokes her hand up and down her boyfriend's chest, her head on his chest. She purrs as he kisses her hand he holds within his own.

"I hate to come down from this," Ryan begins, "but I came over here because I wanted to talk to you about something."

Taylor sits up and leans her head on her hand. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"No, everything is fine. It's about Lindsey."

Taylor huffs in annoyance. "Great. What did she do now?"

"Nothing, actually. I saw her at the beach yesterday when I was surfing and she looked like she was going through something, so I went over and talked to her."

"Well, is she okay?"

"I think so. She's got something going on with Grandpa right now and she wouldn't tell me about it. What she would tell me about is that she's worried about her relationship with my mom. I guess she has been since she was young. You know all about that, though."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ryan smiles. He absolutely loved this girl for her seeming inability to think only of herself and her constant selflessness. "Actually, there is. I was wondering if you could do something with her. Take her to the mall, have lunch, something. I'd ask Marissa or Summer to go with but, Marissa, well…"

"Marissa hates her for what she did to her dad."

"Pretty much. And Summer…"

"Summer hates her for what she did to Marissa."

"Yeah. If you could help her out and make her feel like she belongs a little, I would love you so much for it."

Taylor snuggles in closer to Ryan. "You know I'd do anything for you."

"Can we just lay here like this all day?"

Taylor sighs contentedly. "I wish. I've got to meet Marissa and Summer and their parents so we can have this big talk about what's going on with them. I was just getting my underwear when you got here and gave me such a fabulous distraction."

"What time are you and your mom meeting them?"

She looks over at the clock on her dresser. "An hour or so. I've got to shower again too." Taylor props her chin up on Ryan's chest. "Do you want to join me?"

Ryan smiles at her. Taylor squeals and runs in to the bathroom. Ryan searches through the bedside table where he knows that she keeps the condoms hidden. Not finding any he calls to his girlfriend. "Hey, I think we're out of condoms. Don't you have any more?"

"Don't worry about it," Taylor yells out. "It's only this one time and I'll pick some more up later."

Ryan jumps out of the bed, thoughts of condoms forgotten, and joins his giggling girlfriend in the shower.

_Later, Lunch_

Taylor sits down at the table, joining Summer and Marissa on one side of the table. Her mother sits down next to Jimmy, who is sitting on the other side of the table, next to his ex-wife and Neil Roberts.

"So, now that we're all here," Marissa says, glaring at Taylor, who shrugs, "we can begin."

"I'm sure that two of you know why you're here," Taylor continues, looking at her mother and Jimmy Cooper, who refuse to meet her eyes.

"While two of you don't," Summer finishes. Her father and Julie look a little lost. "Look, we know…"

"About _everything_," Marissa interrupts.

"…and we're not mad. Far from it. We're happy for all four of you."

"Summer, I don't know what you're talking about," Julie begins.

"Save it, Mom. Her and Seth saw you guys making out at the driving range."

"I'm sorry, Summer. We should have just trusted you."

"You're right, Dad. You should have trusted us. We're going to be adults soon, but you guys are the ones acting like kids. Calling in sick to work so you can get freaky at the driving range…"

"Walking around your boyfriend's apartment in nothing besides underwear," Taylor adds, shaking a finger at her mother.

"Hold on a second," Julie interrupts. "Let me get this straight. I'm seeing your father, Summer, and my ex-husband is dating one of my best friends, and your mother Taylor?" Summer and Taylor both nod. "Okay, well I just wanted to make sure it was as weird as it sounded."

"That's not important, Julie. The point is, is that Marissa, Summer and I are fine with what is going on between you four. We wish that you would have told us instead of letting us walk in on you, but we're glad that you are all moving on."

"Now," Summer says, standing, "you guys have the reservations already, so why don't you have lunch and talk about what's going on?"

"It's still a little too early to have an extended family dinner," Marissa says, joining Summer and Taylor in standing, "but we'll do this for real some day."

"Enjoy your lunch," Taylor says cheerily, and the three girls leave the restaurant.

The four adults look at each other, sharing confused looks until Veronica speaks up. "Did our teenage daughters just show us up?"

"Quite possibly," Neil says. "Regardless, I think we should take them up on their advice. It's been a few weeks since we ate together at The Yacht Club and that dinner turned out well."

Julie and Jimmy look at each other and shrug. Jimmy raises his hand. "Waiter?"

_The Nichol Mansion_

Taylor pulls her mother's car into the driveway of the Nichol's residence, noting with a sense of relief that Caleb Nichol's vehicle was not in the driveway. She walks up to the door, rings the doorbell and waits. Soon enough, the younger resident of the household, Lindsey Nichol, answers the door.

"Taylor Townsend. What are you doing at my house?"

Taylor walks past the girl, entering the large home. "I _love_ this house! It's so big and spacious." She turns back to Lindsey. "So I thought we could hang out today. There's a Paul Frank sale at the mall."

Lindsey coughs out a laugh. "You want to hang out with me? Are you brain damaged? I thought you hated me?"

"Well, Ryan and I talked earlier in my bed," she ignores Lindsey's gagging motion, "and he told me that you were a little down in the dumps so I'm here to help you get out of it. I've been wanting to go raid the racks at the mall all day and it was tough putting off my assault so that I could come get you. Are you ready? Hurry and go shower and get dressed. I'll be here waiting."

"Dear God, I don't think anyone ever tells you or Ryan 'no'. Fine, I'll go," she says, relenting, "but if we see anyone I know…"

"I'll disappear." Taylor finishes for the other girl and holds up her hand in solemn promise.

_A few minutes later_

Lindsey steps out of the shower and wraps herself and her hair in a towel. Leaving the bathroom, she almost yells in surprise as she is greeted by the sight of Taylor going through her clothes.

"Taylor! What the hell are you doing in here? I thought you were going to wait downstairs?"

"Sorry, but I'm kind of a meddler. I wanted to see what you were going to wear." She picks at the outfit that Lindsey had laid out on the bed; a small piece of cloth that was supposed to be a skirt, and a skimpy pink shirt, cut low to show off her stomach. "This isn't going to work. Looking like a slut is occasionally appropriate at certain times. Going to the mall with a new friend is not one of them. If you want to wear a skirt, go with this." She hands Lindsey a longer khaki skirt. "It's a bit more conservative, as it goes to mid thigh, and it doesn't look like someone took two dishtowels and stapled them together at the corners. As for your shirt," she throws the belly shirt on the floor, "I think you'd be better served with something that contrasts you red hair and brings out the green in your eyes. I'm thinking this." She gives the other girl a green button up that she found buried in the back of the closet. "Now, go put these on, do your make-up, I'll do a final look over, and we'll go." Taylor pushes her into the bathroom.

Lindsey closes the door to Taylor giving the room a once over, her finger at the corner of her mouth, face screwed up in thought. Her last thought as she shuts the door is that she wouldn't be surprised if the room was completely rearranged when she came back out.

_Later, at the mall_

"So, I guess I owe you an apology," Lindsey begins. "I've been a pretty terrible person to you and your friends for awhile. I think I was just taking my shitty life out on you guys."

"Well, I can't say that I thought you were the greatest person ever, but I can't say that I hated you either. I didn't really know you, so I couldn't hate you." Taylor shifts her bags to her other hand.

"You know, you and Ryan have more in common than I think even you guys know. You're perfect for each other."

"Thanks! I think our strengths and faults as people compliment each other very well. He deals with my craziness and talkativeness and I deal with his broodiness and silence."

"Right. Well, thanks for today. I know Ryan told you that I've got some things going on in my life right now and I think it's cool that you would come hang out with someone that you don't like because your boyfriend asked you to."

"I'd do anything for Ryan, and he knows it. Trust me when I say this was actually rather pleasant and not even close to the worst thing I've done for him. You don't even want to know."

"You're right, I don't want to know. Are you ready to leave? These bags are getting heavy and I'm sure Dad will want to know how much damage I did to his card."

"Sure, let's go home."

_The Cohen residence_

Kirsten and Sandy are sitting on the couch, enjoying a little time alone, when they hear a knock at the door. They share a look, trying to decide whether to get up and answer it. Another knock answers the unspoken question and they both get up.

"With the way things have been going today, I'm half expecting this to be your dad," Sandy tells his wife.

"No it's not Dad. He'd just walk right in." Kirsten opens the door.

"Well, it's definitely not Cal," Sandy says, seeing the auburn haired Nichol on the stoop.

"Hailey?! What…what are you doing here," Kirsten stammers.

"Awww it's good to see you too, sis. Aren't you going to invite me in?" Hailey sidesteps her sister and brother-in-law and sets her bags down in the house. "Oh, Sandy. I'm out of cash and the cab driver needs his fare. Could you take care of that please?"

Sandy pulls out his wallet and mutters as he makes his way to the yellow vehicle.

"Now, Hailey, do you want to tell me what it is that you're doing here? I thought you were out of the country, doing God knows what?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm home and I'm here to stay."

* * *

A/N: Wow, so that one took a little while to get out. A little short, I know, but it's the logical place to stop it at. Sorry about it taking so long. I've been working on it off and on since early last week, but because of the move it has taken awhile to get it typed up. I hope you all enjoy. Random fact of the chapter: Some studies have demonstrated that the smell of androstadienone, a chemical component of male sweat, maintains higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in females. I figured it would be the other way around, you know, that females raise men's blood pressure and blood sugar. Hope you enjoy and please leave a review!

AZ


	9. The Instigator

A/N: Okay, so a quick shout out to the anonymous review I received for the last chapter from "jess". Here's to rocking the boat!

* * *

"Ugh, I so hate math. What did you get for number nine?" Taylor looks over at Ryan's answer sheet and sees that she guessed wrong. She erases her answer and copies the one that Ryan has on his paper.

"What are you doing? You know Mr. McKenzie requires that we show our work, along with the answer to the problem. He's never going to let you turn your assignment in looking like that."

"Since when do you care that I copy your math? I always copy your math answers, you always copy my English answers. That's how we've always done it. Is something else bothering you?" Taylor sets aside her homework and scoots across the floor to her boyfriend, who leans back against the couch.

"I don't know. Lindsey is making an attempt at not being a terrible person, Thanksgiving is this week, we haven't seen Grandpa in awhile; I guess it just seems like everything is going too well. I feel like we're tempting fate by copying each others' answers."

Taylor laughs. "Ryan Cohen, victim of karma. You've never been one for superstitions, why now? You think that if we copy each others' answers, it's going to cause the universe to attempt to right itself by having Thanksgiving be ruined? Please. The idea of karma was invented by people who didn't want to take responsibility for their own actions, instead placing them in the hands of 'fate' or an unnamed god. One thing you and I both have always agreed on was the fact that we are all responsible for our choices and we have to accept the consequences."

"I know, I guess I was just worried about things getting crazy for the holidays." Ryan leans his head on Taylor's shoulder.

"Well, having Hailey back should make things interesting. Does she still hold a grudge against Lindsey?"

"I really haven't had much time to talk to her. She's always in and out of the house, doing something or other. Seth finally met her for the first time the other day, and that was only because he needed something of his from the pool house and caught her on the way out."

"How did Seth react to that?"

"About how you think Seth would have reacted: with sarcasm and inappropriate comments. Aunt Hailey asked him what the hell he was doing in her room and Seth asked her what the hell she was doing living with her sister at the tender age of 'too old'. His words, not mine. That pissed Hailey off a little, but what really got to her is when Seth asked why she looked like Lindsey and not Kirsten. Luckily, Dad was around to save Seth from her wrath when he questioned her parentage."

"Seth really knows how to get under people's skin. So, do you think Hailey has some sort of secret, manipulative plan in the works?"

"I'm not sure if she's up to something, but she's definitely got some ulterior reason for being here, besides seeing Mom."

"How's she taking seeing her sister again? How long has it been since Hailey has been home?"

"It's been almost four years since you've been home, Hailey. You never called or wrote or anything. Now, out of the blue, you come back and you want me to let you stay here," Kirsten asks as she walks into the kitchen, followed by her younger sister. "What is going on with you?"

"Nothing. Is it too much to ask to want to come home and see my sister?" Hailey smiles and waves at Taylor, who smiles and waves back. "Hey Taylor. You got…" Haley motions with her hands to her chest.

"Boobs," Taylor asks. "Yep. Puberty finally happened. I lost the glasses and retainer and grew boobs. A pretty good deal if you ask me."

"Still hanging around with Ryan and doing his English homework for him?"

"Oh, I'm still doing his English, but it's a little bit more than hanging out these days. We're dating."

Hailey nods her head approvingly. "Good call, little nephew. I always liked this girl. Try not to screw it up." Taylor giggles to herself.

"Thanks, Aunt Hailey. Don't you have to go see Grandpa or something about some money?" Ryan stares at his aunt with an innocent look on his face.

Hailey ignores her nephew, instead directing the next question at his girlfriend. "So, Taylor, have you and my cocky nephew done the nasty yet?" Taylor and Ryan both sport a severe blush and begin to stammer.

"Hailey!" Kirsten makes the save as she yells at her younger sister. "Ryan, Taylor, upstairs, now." She points up to Ryan's room and the two teens grab their homework and make their way up the stairs at a quick pace. "Now you're embarrassing my son and his girlfriend?"

"That's what aunts are for, sis. You do know that they're probably just going to go up to his room and go at it like a bunch of horny teenagers, right?" Hailey opens the refrigerator and removes two bottles of water, one of which she hands to her sister.

Kirsten accepts the water, and glares at her sister in response to her earlier comment. "Unfortunately, I do. I caught them out in the pool house once already, a few months ago."

"Come on, Kiki! I sleep there!"

"That's what Seth said. And don't call me Kiki. Only Dad gets to call me Kiki. Actually, everyone calls me Kiki."

"So how is that new member to your family working out? Did Dad lose it when he found out that you brought him into the family?"

"Predictably enough, yes, he did lose it. Well, not so much lose it, because you know Dad, and he rarely 'loses' it, but he definitely wasn't happy. He basically thought we were asking for trouble, bringing a druggie and an arsonist into our home. I could actually care less, though. Dad and I aren't really on speaking terms at the moment."

" 'A druggie and an arsonist'? I thought he was just some kid that Sandy brought home from the streets?" Haley gives her sister a confused look.

"If you can make your way through the sarcasm, Seth will probably tell you the story. Or you can just go ask Ryan. Or Summer, Seth's girlfriend."

"Ryan's friend Summer? The little pint-sized pipsqueak that used to be so annoying? That Summer?"

"You keep forgetting that these kids that grew up hanging around here have all, well, grown up. They're not kids anymore. You'll get to see them all again tomorrow at Thanksgiving dinner, as long as you're not planning on taking off again before that," Kirsten says giving her sister a questioning look.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. You still won't tell me what's up with Dad, and he's spending Thanksgiving in Australia, so I have to wait for him to get back. How many people are you planning on having here?"

Kirsten holds out her fingers and begins to count. "Let's see, Julie and Neil, Jimmy and Veronica. That's four, and with Summer, Marissa, and Taylor that makes seven…"

"Wait, Julie and who? Jimmy and who? I thought Julie was married to Jimmy Cooper? What has happened since I've been gone?"

"I keep forgetting that you haven't been around in forever. For now, you get the short version. Jimmy made a few questionable business decisions and was being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Julie divorced him so that she could keep the house for Marissa to stay in, and Jimmy is gradually paying back what he owes. Julie has been seeing Summer's father, Neil Roberts, for the past month or so, and Jimmy has been dating Taylor's mom, Veronica, for about the same amount of time."

"So Jimmy Cooper is single again? That's…interesting."

"Oh, he's not single. I thought I said he was dating Veronica Townsend? I have to say it's a little weird having my two best friends dating Sandy's friends, but it makes it easy when I'm trying to decide who to have over for dinner company." Kirsten starts to ramble about the plans for the Thanksgiving dinner that is to be catered, completely missing the conniving look that her sister has on her face.

_The Doctor's Office_

Marissa walks into the reception area that is shared by the four resident therapists. She signs her name on the clipboard marked 'Wallerstein' and grabs a seat on a comfortable looking couch. She begins to flip through a random fashion magazine and notices the kid across the couch staring at her. She tries to ignore it, and continues to look at the magazine, but it eventually gets to be too much for her and she puts down the magazine in a huff.

"I'm sorry, do you have a problem," she asks the boy, who appears to be around her own age.

"You seem a little nervous about being here."

"Not really. My parents think it's a good idea, and I'm kind of going through a lot right now."

"I came here three times before I actually walked through that door."

Marissa isn't quite sure what to say. "Well, that's, uh, nice?"

Not to be deterred, the dark haired boy goes on. "Don't I know you? You go to Harbor, right?"

"Guilty as charged. Marissa," she says, shaking the offered hand.

"Yeah you're the girl at school who organises things, parties and stuff right?"

"Social chair is what that's called. So, you go to Harbor?"

"No, no I go to Pacific," the boy says, laughing. "Oliver Trask."

Marissa doesn't say anything. She just nods her head and goes back to her magazine.

"For a social chair, well I don't find you to be very social at all. We're gonna have to talk to somebody about a recall." Oliver continues to stare at her.

"Well, I don't really know who you are and, honestly, you kind of creep me out."

"I introduced myself. Let's move on from there. Why don't we start with why you're here. So, Marissa," he sits forward and places his elbows on his knees, "what IS wrong with you?"

"Why don't YOU tell ME, _Oliver_?"

"Let's see...you're not an alcoholic...yet. You've OD'd at least once. Pills I'd say, muscle relaxants definitely." His face has a smug expression on it.

Marissa lets out a soft giggle, but lets him continue.

"You didn't really wanna hurt yourself." He looks up, seeming to consider his next words. "Kurt Cobain? Yeah he wanted to hurt himself."

"Great job, Freud. Maybe you should just stick to analyzing yourself next time." She turns to look as a door opens and someone walks out.

"That's you, I'm waiting on the next door. See you next week." He gives her a small wave.

What a creep, Marissa thinks to herself as she walks into her therapist's office.

_The Nichol Mansion_

Kirsten knocks on the door to her father's mansion, knowing full well that he is out of the country. Only, she's not wanting her father to answer. She's actually hoping to see her youngest sister open the door. Her wish is fulfilled when the youngest Nichol greets her on the stoop.

"Hey sis," Lindsey says in greeting. "Happy Thanksgiving. You want to come in?"

"Sure. As long as you don't mind, of course."

"Of course not." Lindsey moves back and allows her sister to walk in. Shutting the door, she leads her sister into the kitchen. She opens the refridgerator and takes out a bottle water. She offers her sister one, which Kirsten accepts.

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow Lindsey?" Kirsten takes a drink of her water.

"I don't know. I sent the staff home for the weekend, so I was just going to sit around the house, maybe cook something up. I didn't really have anything specific planned."

"Well, why don't you come over to our house? We'll have plenty of food and I'm sure it will be better than sitting around here by yourself all day?"

"What about everyone else? I don't really want to intrude…"

"You won't be intruding, Lindsey. It's my house and I'm inviting you. You're my sister, and if anyone has a problem with you being there, they can celebrate Thanksgiving somewhere else."

"Thanks, sis. I appreciate it."

"So we'll be seeing you tomorrow then?" Kirsten looks hopeful.

"Yeah, sure. What time do I need to be there?"

"Dinner is going to start at six o' clock, sharp. We're doing it semi-formal, so maybe a pair of dress slacks or a cocktail dress." She hugs her younger sister. "I can't wait to see you tomorrow. I'll let myself out."

Lindsey waves at her sister as she walks out of the house.

_Later, Back at the Doctor's office_

Luke pulls up to the front of the building that houses Marissa's therapist's office and sees his girlfriend waiting in the front, near the doors, talking to the receptionist. He touches his horn to get her attention. Marissa hears it and looks out the building to see her boyfriend waiting for her. She says good bye and runs out to Luke's truck, and hops in.

"Hey babe," Luke says, kissing her. "How did the appointment go?"

"Pretty good for the first appointment, I guess. We didn't really talk about much. Dr. Wallerstein just wanted to know why I thought I was there, what my family background was, stuff like that. She seems really nice."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that you think this lady might help you and give you someone to talk to when you can't talk to me or your folks."

"The only thing is that there's this really creepy kid that has an appointment at the same time that I do with another therapist in the building. He was acting kind of weird while I was in the reception area, waiting for my appointment."

Luke looks over, a worried look on his face. "He didn't try anything, did he?"

"No, of course not. He was just, I don't know, asking some personal questions and stuff. He seemed to know a lot about me, which was strange, because I've never seen him before in my life. He knew that I went to Harbor, and that I was co-Social Chair. He even thought I was an alcoholic and that I had OD'd. That those were the reasons I was there. It was a little creepy how he kept talking about me."

"You don't know the guy? Maybe he goes to Harbor?"

"No, he said he goes to Pacific. His name is Oliver Trask."

Luke thinks for a minute. "I know some guys from Pacific. I can ask them what they know about this creep. Maybe you should think about changing your appointment days or something. You know, just to get away from the guy."

"Yeah…maybe," Marissa mumbles, and casts a worried look at the side mirror as the doctor's office fades away into the distance.

_Cohen residence_

Seth is out in the pool house, laying on the bed doodling, when Summer comes in and flops down on the bed. She leans over and kisses him on the cheek.

"So when did you get moved back into the pool house? I went up to the guestroom, where you were supposed to be staying, and found Hailey changing."

"Yeah, I did the same thing the first night that she was here. Remember the night we went to The Bait Shop to see The Shins? Hailey got home that day, only I didn't know that. I came in here and laid down in the bed, only to realize that it was already occupied. By my foster aunt." Seth continues to sketch.

"Smooth, Seth." She finally notices him doodling on his notebook. "Whatcha drawing?" She looks over his shoulder and sees sketches of her in what appears to be a skin-tight, vinyl outfit, complete with domino mask and knee high boots. "Is that supposed to be me as a super hero?"

"Technically, my dear Summer, that is you as a super _heroine_. But, yes, you are the inspiration for these drawings."

"Seth, these are so good! I mean, well, the boobs are a little big, but…well…I mean, aren't they?" Summer looks down at her chest.

Seth looks up and briefly considers her boobs. Putting down his pencil, he grabs them, thinks for a moment, and says, "No, I think they're just about right." Summer punches him on the shoulder. "Just kidding! I'll redo the boobs."

"As long as I have full boob approval. So who am I supposed to be?"

Seth stops sketching and turns back to a page showing Summer's character skipping over rooftops. "This little hellion is Roberta Summers, aka Little Miss Vixen."

"Roberta Summers? What kind of name is that?"

"Would you rather be Chummer Boberts?" Summer shakes her head no. "Didn't think so."

"So what are my super powers, besides the ability to tolerate your sarcastic comments?"

"Little Miss Vixen's passion for fashion is unequaled, as is the velocity at which she throws her razor sharp credit cards. Her rage blackouts also make her a force to be reckoned with in any fight."

Summer grabs the book from his hands and starts to flip through it. "So what is this? Are you planning on doing some kind of comic book or something?" She fends off Seth's attempts to regain the book until he gives up.

"I don't know. It was just kind of something to do while I was bored. If I do decide to go the whole comic book route, I've got a little back story planned out." Seth begins to explain the story of Jeff Kiefman, a lonely Jewish boy raised on the run by his mother. Eventually captured by the authorities, he is taken in by Randy and Kristen Lowen. He quickly makes friends with their son, Bryan Lowen and, through him, is introduced to the love of his life, Roberta Summers.

"That's so creative, Seth!" She flips to a page containing a drawing of a blonde, flexing teen. "Oh my God, is this supposed to be Luke?"

"You mean Brian Lowen's friend, Nuke Lord, the thick-headed, human battering ram?"

Summer honks out a laugh. "This is the funniest stuff I've ever heard. What about the other girls?"

"Are you talking about Roberta Summers' friends, Taryn Townwood and Clarissa Hooper, who together form the all-female supergroup, The Tres Bellas?"

By now, Summer is laughing so hard that she has rolled off the bed. She takes a moment to compose herself and rejoins her boyfriend on the mattress. "Seriously, where do you come up with this stuff?"

"I have no idea."

_The Next Day_

Victoria and Jimmy stand on the stoop to the Cohen's house and ring the bell. The door is opened by Kirsten, who greets her old friends warmly. "Veronica, Jimmy, welcome. Happy Thanksgiving!" She gives each and hug and they walk into the house. "Sandy is out back, Jimmy if you want to go see him."

"Thanks, Kirsten." Jimmy heads towards to back patio area.

"Is that Taylor's outfit," Kirsten asks Veronica, pointing to the garment bag slung over her friend's shoulder.

"I hope so. It was the only garment bag sitting out in her room. As much of a planner as Taylor is, I'm surprised that she didn't bring it over last night."

"Supposedly, there was some big pre-Thanksgiving concert at that new place Seth is working at. I'm sure that was probably occupying their thoughts."

"I'm sure it was. I should probably take this up to Taylor so she can finish getting ready." Veronica begins to walk up the stairs, but she is stopped by a descending Ryan.

"Actually, Veronica, I can take that up there for you." Ryan holds out his hand for the garment bag.

"Oh, I don't think that's necessary, Ryan. I'm not sure that we have the time. We both know that you two would be doing more than getting dressed, although that might come later." Veronica smirks at the younger boy.

Ryan motions her close. "Who's to say that we didn't already go at it, before you got here," he whispers in her ear. As Veronica frowns, he grabs the bag containing Taylor's dress and runs it upstairs. Veronica slowly goes back down the stairs and walks over to her friend.

"Veronica! Why do you have to talk about our kids' sexual escapades like that? I'm still trying to persuade myself that it's not happening."

"Come on, Kiki. They're not kids anymore. Besides, I think Ryan may have just showed me up any way."

"Why, what did he say?"

"You don't want to know, Keeks. You really don't want to know."

The doorbell rings again and Kirsten opens it once more. Standing on the stoop is Julie Cooper and Dr. Neil Roberts. Kirsten greets them as well and welcomes them in. Each parent is carrying a garment bag, like Veronica, presumably for their two daughters.

"Hi, Kiki. Happy Thanksgiving." Julie gives her friend a one-armed hug. "Thank you for having Neil and I over. Your house looks beautiful, as always." Julie turns to Neil and gives him Marissa's garment bag. "Neil, would you mind taking these up to the girls?"

"Uhm, sure. Where are they at," he asks Kirsten.

"The girls are in the second guest bedroom, changing. Do you want me to show you where it is?"

"Nonsense," Julie interrupts. "Neil can find it. Can't you dear?"

"Of course. I don't think I can get too lost in this house. If I don't come back in fifteen minutes, send out a search party," he jokes, and heads toward the stairs.

Kirsten hands Julie and Veronica a glass of wine just as the doorbell rings again.

"Who is that," Veronica asks. "I thought everyone else was here already?"

"Not quite everyone," Kirsten says as she makes her way towards the door.

_Upstairs_

Neil Roberts is wandering around the hallway, wearing a confused look on his face. He approaches what he thinks might be the room the girls are in and, with hesitation, opens the door. He immediately realizes that he has picked the wrong room, noticing the posters of rock bands and sports figures adorning the walls, not to mention the two teens having sex on the small, twin bed. Taylor Townsend squeals in surprise and pulls the covers over herself and a blushing Ryan Cohen. Neil averts his eyes.

Ryan pokes his head back out from under the covers. "Hi, Dr. Roberts."

"Hello, Ryan. Er, Summer and Marissa aren't in here, are they?"

"Next door on the right," he says pointing in the general direction.

"Thanks," Neil says, and leaves the room without a second's worth of hesitation.

Hearing the door shut, Taylor pokes her head out from under the covers and looks back down at Ryan.

"Not _my_ dad," Ryan offers.

Taylor starts to smile. "Not my mom," she counters. She attacks Ryan's lips with her own.

_Pool house_

"So, Corona, how's the comic book coming," Luke asks as he scores another touchdown on the computer opponent. The two boys are lounging in their evening attire, waiting for their girls to get finished dressing. Seth is laying on the bed sketching. He looks up at Luke's question.

"How'd you know about that?" Luke gives him a look that says, 'Come on'. "Right. Well, I've got most of the characters fleshed out. For instance," he shows Luke the final version of his character, which is a little more refined and wearing purple board shorts and a puka shell necklace.

Luke scowls at him. "Purple board shorts? Come on, man."

"Hey it worked for The Hulk, which is who you're modeled after, by the way. You're a normal teenager that transforms into the human wrecking ball, The Tide Thrasher when provoked, or when your girlfriend Clarissa Hooper, aka Material Girl, is placed in danger."

"Marissa's super hero name is Material Girl?"

Seth shrugs his shoulders. "I couldn't really come up with anything else, and she just seems to be the quintessential 'Material Girl in a material world.' Seriously, did I just quote Madonna? That was a little minty."

Luke ignores the last part of what Seth said. "So what are her powers?"

"Well, according to The Kirsten, Marissa is a little transparent, so that is going to factor in a little." He looks over at Luke, ready to run if necessary, but Luke doesn't seem to get the jab at his girlfriend.

"That means you can see through her, right? What else," he asks, as he scores another touchdown.

Seth shakes his head. He really is thick-headed, he thinks to himself. "I'm thinking she's going to be more of a mystical presence, non-Material if you will. Along with being semi-transparent, she'll be intangible, which means that she will be able to phase through walls and floors."

Summer and Marissa walk into the pool house, followed by Ryan and Taylor. Taylor is smoothing her hair and checking her make-up in a pocket mirror. She looks over at Ryan and wipes a lipstick smudge from his jawline. He kisses her on the forehead. "What's going on in here," he asks.

"I see it's Bryan 'The White Knight' Lowen and Taryn 'Lady Light' Townwood." He shows Ryan and Taylor the sketches he has been working on for the past couple days: Ryan in his usual attire of wife beater and jeans, accentuated with large metal gauntlets on his hands, bright metal boots on his feet, and large sword strapped to his back. Taylor, or Taryn, is wearing a hooded, white robe, wielding a katana made of pure energy. "I was trying to come up with character ideas for you two and I realized that you're both pretty selfless people, so I made you both holy warriors, commonly known as paladins." Everyone looks confused. "Just focus on the 'holy warriors' part of it. Ryan's character is a brawler, like Luke's. He's not as strong," Luke does a fist pump, "but he's a little bit more of a smarter fighter." Ryan gives Luke the finger. "He carries a large sword to dispense justice with. He also shares a strong psychic bond with his girlfriend, Lady Light, who is a very powerful telepath. She is able to manifest a katana of pure energy and she can heal those she touches, which are testaments to her love of Asian cinema and her first aid abilities."

"Awww, thanks Seth," Taylor says. "What about you though? Have you drawn up your character yet?"

"No drawings yet, but I've got my character all planned out. Jeff Kiefman, otherwise known as The Ironist. He uses his quick wit, along with a heightened sense of sarcasm, to confuse his enemies. Once they've been thoroughly confounded, his super speed and enhanced agility allow him to move in for the kill." Seth emphasizes this point by pounding his fist into his thigh, an action he immediately regrets as he hisses in pain.

"So, by move in for the kill, you mean run for help, right," Ryan says, sarcastically.

"Hey, I can hold my own!"

"Uh huh."

"What about villains, Corona," Luke asks.

Seth leans back over his sketch book. "Well, we've got the usual suspects, like-"

"Lindsey," Ryan says in surprise.

"That's a good idea, I guess," Seth says without looking up, "but I thought she was reforming?"

"I don't see anything wrong with being a reformed super-villain," Lindsey says from the doorway. "I think my dad would make a pretty good villain for your comic. You could call him Dr. Asshole."

"Lindsey. Sorry, I didn't see you there. Or hear you come in, for that matter. I might take your idea about Caleb under advisement. Although, I might have to change the name. Dr. Asshole just seems a little too…direct."

"Kids," Kirsten's voice yells from the house. "Dinner!"

Seth sets down his sketchbook and the seven teenagers head into the house. Lindsey pulls Summer and Marissa aside before the three follow the others inside.

"Look, I know you two really don't like me a whole lot, and I probably deserve it. I just wanted to say I'm sorry, mostly to you Marissa for outing your dad, but also to you, Summer, for just generally being a bitch. And for using your ex-boyfriend to try and make you jealous."

Summer and Marissa both look at each other. Marissa speaks up. "Kirsten told us you're going through something right now and that we should be nice to you. I probably won't ever be okay with what you did at cotillion, but I think I can probably forgive you." She turns to Summer.

"I agree with Marissa. Since Cohen is vouching for you, I guess you can be placed on probation," Summer says, smiling. "You're lucky you've got such a cool nephew."

"It kind of helps to think of him as a cousin," Lindsey says as the three girls walk into the house. They just begin to sit down when the doorbell rings again.

"Who is it this time, Kirsten," Veronica asks. "I thought everyone was here?"

"Well, Hailey isn't back yet, but she wouldn't ring the bell." Kirsten walks over to the door and opens it. "Hailey? Why did you…Dad," she asks in astonishment. Everyone else files into the foyer when they hear who is at the door. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Australia!"

"I was until I found out Hailey was back home." He steps around his oldest and enters the Cohens' home. "I cut short my trip and flew back home immediately. This one," he smiles at Hailey, who returns it with one of her own, "met me at the air field and told me that we were having Thanksgiving over here, this year. Sanford," Cal says as he passes the dark-haired man. "Happy Thanksgiving. Where's the food? I'm starving."

"Look," Seth says, whispering into Lindsey's ear, "Dr. Asshole is back. Hooray."

_Later, eating_

"So, Jimmy," Hailey says, taking a roll and passing it down the table, "that's too bad to hear about you and Julie. Last I heard, you guys were doing great. Then I come back and you're broke and divorced."

"Yeah, well, things happen I guess. We realized that we weren't in love anymore and it made financial sense that, with everything I was going through, we get divorced and I take on the responsibility of paying the restitution." Jimmy takes a roll and passes the bread basket.

"So are you single now," Hailey questions with an innocent look on her face. Kirsten scowls at her sister.

"No I'm actually seeing Veronica now," he says, smiling and covering Veronica's hand with his own. "She helped me find an apartment after I separated from Julie and we've been seeing each other since. Julie, actually, has been-"

"Yeah, that's great," Hailey interrupts. "Maybe we could hang out sometime. It's been so long since I've been home and I don't really have any friends here anymore. I've been so bored for the past couple weeks."

Veronica gives the middle Nichol daughter a scowl of her own, as she starts to realize what Hailey is doing. No way this little bitch is stealing my boyfriend, she thinks. "Well, it hasn't been that long has it? Surely you haven't forgotten the layout of the land, have you? If you have, I'm sure I could locate a compass and map. You could amuse yourself."

Oh God, Kirsten thinks, and drains her wineglass.

"What's wrong, Veronica? Afraid to leave me alone with Jimmy?"

Oh God, Jimmy thinks. "Girls, there's no need for this-"

"Shut up Jimmy," they both say in unison.

Jimmy picks up his plate and goes to the kitchen, followed by all of the men, besides Caleb.

"Great dinner, Kiki," her father says, taking another bite of turkey.

_Later_

"Well, that dinner turned out pretty…entertaining," Sandy says, piling plates on top of each other and carrying them to the sink. "Surprisingly enough, your father wasn't even the fight instigator today. That honor goes to your sister."

"I should have known Hailey was up to something. She'd been acting weird since she got here. And then I tried to get her to come with me to invite Lindsey to dinner and she looked like she wanted to hit me. I think she actively despises our younger sister." Kirsten begins to scrub the first plate.

"Well your father seemed pretty happy to have her back in town. He's even getting her an apartment, supposedly near Jimmy's place. Veronica didn't seem too keen on that happening."

"We're going to have to keep Jimmy and Veronica away from Hailey. I think my sister has a thing for Jimmy Cooper."

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to get this out there, my typing time was severely limited for awhile. I snuck in a few hours today to sit down and get this out. Can't keep my fans waiting lol. Random fact of the chapter: In medieval literature, the paladins, or Twelve Peers, were known in the Matter of France as the retainers of Charlemagne. Based on this usage, the term can also refer to an honorable knight, which has been used in contemporary fantasy literature. Hope you all enjoy and please review!

AZ


	10. The Taking

"I'm seriously getting worried," Sandy Cohen says to his wife, as he takes a sip of coffee. "This Balboa Heights case is spiraling out of control. Your father has been stonewalling me every chance he gets. I think the man is almost hoping I don't offer him a decent settlement amount so that I'll be forced to work through the holidays!"

Kirsten winces as her husband violently schmears a bagel. "Sandy, you can't let him get you down. If he sees that this is affecting you so much, he's just going to keep wringing more blood from the stone. You've got to draw the line somewhere."

"I just don't want the Land Trust getting screwed because I couldn't secure a low enough settlement. I'm worried that I might not be a good enough lawyer to win this case if, God forbid, it goes to trial. Your father is going to have a host of the most conniving, soulless bastards to ever graduate from law school on his side. I think I may need a miracle."

"You're a great attorney, and the Balboa Land Trust is lucky to have you. You'll find something, I know you will." She kisses her husband on the cheek, and he takes her in his arms. "You know, Sandy, I'm _really_ hoping that this case doesn't go to trial. It's hard enough to find time to spend with you right now, and you're only trying for a settlement. How long has it been since we've been had five minutes where our phones haven't gone off? Dad is punishing me for dropping out of the project, so I'm always working."

"And Rachel is always calling me, needing some kind of information on the case. But you know what," he whispers, following it up with a very sensual kiss. "I don't here our phones ringing right now." He delivers another kiss to his wife, this one a little deeper than the first. He's just about to pick her up and put her on the island when they are interrupted by their two sons.

"Nice, Dad. We don't eat there or anything." Ryan walks over to the bagel basket and grabs two bagels. One for Seth, which he throws to the other boy, and one for himself.

"Impeccable timing, as always boys," Kirsten says, straightening her suit coat and fixing her hair. She grabs her briefcase and kisses her husband good-bye as she leaves for work.

"That's my cue as well. Learn something useful today at school, guys. Show me that your tuition money is actually going toward your tuition instead of building another pool." Sandy grabs his attaché case and leaves the house as well.

"Is it really fair to keep interrupting their impromptu make-out sessions," Seth asks Ryan.

"Probably not, but we keep getting caught with our girls, I think it's only fair that they have to find better hiding spots too."

_School_

"Corona! What's up man," Luke asks as Seth sits down next to him at their lab table. "Almost ready for Winter Break?"

"Did Moses lead the Jews from Egypt? The answer, my WASPy friend, is yes. Although, winter around here is kind of a joke. The weather doesn't really change a lot."

"I know. Hey, I think Mr. Bendis is assigning our teams for our History projects today. You want to team up? I was thinking maybe The Crusades?"

Seth looks over at Zach. "Sure, let's do it. Anything to keep from getting paired up with that guy." Zach sneers at the two. Luke returns the goodwill with a hand gesture.

"Alright class, quiet down," Mr. Bendis says as he walks into the room. "Today I'll be assigning you all into two person teams for your History projects. Your class presentations will account for one third of your final grade, along with your term papers and, of course, the final exam. I'll be dividing the class into two person teams. Each team will be responsible for presenting a detailed account of a pivotal event or period in European history. Now I've already had quite a few a partnership requests however, in all fairness to the other students, I will select the teams myself at random. Ok, we have Lauren and Kenny, the French Revolution. Luke and Zach, the Spanish Inquisition, Stephanie and Bobbie the Protestant Reformation…"

"Dude…" Seth says.

"I know."

_Jimmy's Apartment_

"Hey Jimmy," Sandy says as he walks into the other man's apartment.

"Sandy, how's it going?" Jimmy directs his friend in the direction of the couch. "You want a beer or something?"

"No thanks, Jimmy. I've actually got to get back to work soon. I just wanted to drop by and let you know that I had a talk with my friend, the securities attorney, today."

"I imagine this isn't going to be good news," Jimmy says, dropping his head into his hands.

"Well, it's not _great_ news. He talked to the SEC and your ex-clients, and they all agree that, if you make full restitution by January 1st, you'll be free and clear. No jail time, no fine, no anything."

"But that means selling the house. I don't know if I can do that to Julie and Marissa right now, with the holidays coming up so soon."

"I'm not saying you have to sell it right now. Just have Veronica show it while Julie is out and Marissa is at school."

Jimmy stands up from the couch and begins to pace. "What if Julie doesn't want to sell. I mean, she's got her name on the title, right next to mine. What if she says no?"

"What choice does she have? She can't afford to live there if you're in jail. She doesn't really have a choice, unless you two know someone that will buy the house and let her live there."

_The Cohen Residence_

Kirsten picks up the phone from the counter and dials the number she has memorized to heart. The phone rings for a moment and is finally answered by a feminine voice.

_Hello?_

"Lindsey? Hi, it's your sister, Kirsten."

_Hey Kiki._

Kirsten groans. "Please tell me that nickname isn't going to be permanent."

_You can blame Dad for that._

"I know. I'll just add it to the list."

Lindsey laughs. _So what's up? Luckily you caught me during my lunch break. They kind of frown on answering cell phones during class here._

"Right. I forgot you were in school still. I was actually wondering what you have planned for tomorrow?"

_No real plans, I don't think. Were you thinking about doing something?_

"Well I was wondering if you wanted to go to the mall with Hailey and I?" Kirsten is met with silence on the other end. "Lindsey? Everything okay?"

_Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that I thought Hailey didn't really like me. Dad kind of forgot about her when I came to live with him and I thought Hailey still held that against me._

"Actually, it was Hailey's idea. She said that she wanted to take some time to get to know her younger sister."

_Really?_

"I know! I was just as surprised as you are. I guess Hailey may finally be growing out her selfish tendencies. So do you want to go?"

_Sure, I'd love to!_

"Great, we'll pick you up after school at Dad's. See you then!" Kirsten hangs up the phone, excited at the prospect of all three sisters finally getting along.

_Jimmy's apartment_

Jimmy leaves his apartment, closing and locking the door. He turns to walk down the hallway and almost runs into Hailey Nichol.

"Hailey," Jimmy says, looking up and down the hallway, "what are you doing?"

Hailey smiles. "Hey Jimmy! Fancy running into you here. I'm just on my way to meet Dad for lunch. What are you doing?"

Jimmy looks confused. "I guess what I meant is what are you doing _here_?"

"Oh, didn't you know? My dad got me an apartment here when I told him I wanted to stay here in Newport for a while. I guess the rent on these is pretty low and I just _love_ the view of the ocean."

"Well, that's uh...nice, I guess," Jimmy nervously stutters. "How lung have you, uh, been living here?"

"Just a few days. I'm surprised you didn't see the movers bringing the furniture in."

"I've been spending most of my nights over at Veronica's place and I don't usually get back until late at night." He sees Hailey's face fall into a frown. "You know, in case you moved during the afternoon. Which you might have. Or maybe not."

"Yeah, that's probably why you didn't hear it. So, where are you off to today? You know, I could totally drive you. I've got one of my dad's cars," she says in a singsong voice. "That way you wouldn't have to drive."

"Oh, gee Hailey, that sounds…fun, but Veronica is actually waiting outside for me. Actually," he looks down at his watch, "she has been now for the past five minutes, so I should get going. I'll talk to you later Hailey." He moves to step around her, but is stopped by her hand on his shoulder.

"Anytime you want to get together and have dinner, you just let me know Jimmy. After all, we _are_ neighbors now." She grins at Jimmy as she moves aside and Jimmy passes her. She continues to look out the window as Jimmy walks out the door of the complex and hops in Veronica's waiting car.

"What took so long, Jimmy? I called five minutes ago to tell you I was here," Veronica says and kisses her boyfriend hello.

"I know V, and I'm sorry. I was just, uh, meeting a new neighbor."

"That's nice. What are they like?"

"Well, they're very…friendly, that's for sure," Jimmy says, not bothering to correct Veronica's generalization. He knew she would go crazy if she found out Kirsten's sister was living next door to him.

"Maybe we should have them over for dinner, James. It would be a good way to get to know them," Veronica says as she pulls out of the apartment complex's parking lot.

"You know, I don't think that's such a great idea, V."

_At School_

Ryan carries his tray over to the table his two friends are already occupying, sets his tray down, and joins them. "So…Zach, huh?" He gives Luke a curious look and bites into his burger.

"I know! This totally blows Cohen. I wanted to pair up with Corona because I knew that would mean a good grade." Seth makes a cough that sounds like 'asshole.'

"So when are you two getting together to do your project," Ryan asks around a mouthful of French fries.

"Tonight," Luke says and rolls his eyes. "I'm grabbing some stuff from my place, then we're going to meet at my dad's dealership to use some of the equipment there." He reaches for some of Ryan's fries, only to have his hand smacked away.

"Sounds like a blast," Ryan offers dryly.

"Hey," Seth says looking hurt, "sarcasm is supposed to be my thing!"

_The Cooper House, later_

Jimmy stands at the stoop of his wife's house and waits for her to answer his knock. It's strange, he thinks to himself, that he's waiting to be invited into a house that he once used to live in. The door finally opens and Jimmy is greeted by the sight of his ex-wife.

"James. A pleasure as always. Come in," she says and opens the door wider to allow her ex-husband access. Jimmy walks into the house he knows so well and proceeds to the living room. Julie joins him and sits down on the couch. "Have a seat." She motions to the cushions next to her.

"No thanks, Jules." Jimmy stuffs hands in his pockets and stares down at his feet. "So, how are things? Is, uh, stuff good with you and Neil?" He takes his hands out of his pockets and crosses them over his chest.

"Neil and I are fine," Julie says hesitantly.

"Great, that's just…great," Jimmy says and uncrosses his arms, placing them on his hips. He walks over to the window and stares out of it.

"Okay Jimmy, I don't buy this concerned ex-husband bullshit for a minute," Julie says, standing. "I'm sure Neil and mine's relationship isn't the real reason you came over here. Quit stalling and tell me what's going on."

"I don't know what to do Julie. Sandy came over earlier and told me that the securities attorney that is handling my case called him today. Apparently, the SEC called and they said that I was going to have to make full restitution by January 1st."

Julie falls back down to the couch with a stunned look on her face. "Jimmy! That's only four weeks away!"

Jimmy walks over to the couch and sits down next to his ex-wife. "I know, and I really hate to spring this on you right now, but I don't know if I really have any choice. I mean, I owe four million dollars. Can you at least think about showing the house?"

"I don't really have a choice now do I Jimmy? If you go to jail, you won't be able to pay me alimony and Marissa and I won't be able to afford to live here anyway, will we?"

"We're going to figure this out, Jules. I won't let you and Marissa go homeless. We'll talk to Veronica and the Cohens and see if we have any other options."

_Cohen Residence_

Sandy Cohen walks into the kitchen of his home and sees his wife spooning Thai take-out onto plates. He grabs a steamed dumpling out of the container and tosses it into his mouth.

"Hey," his wife jokingly complains, "no picking from the box. The boys are washing up right now. You can wait five minutes." She looks over and sees the preoccupied look on her husband's face. "Uh oh, I know that look. What's wrong?"

"It's Jimmy Cooper," Sandy says, placing his hands on the counter and leaning on them. "I don't know what to do. I heard from my friend, the securities attorney today. He has to make his restitution by the beginning of the New Year or he's looking at jail time."

"I don't see how that's going to be possible, Sandy. I know Jimmy has been looking for a job, but nobody will hire him with this hanging over his head. They're probably going to have to sell the house."

"And that's what I told him, but he's worried about Julie and Marissa not having a home during the holidays."

"I'm sure Neil wouldn't let those two go homeless. I'm sure he'd be able to help somehow. And, even if he can't, I know Julie still has family out in Riverside. That's not the most attractive option, I know, but it's still an option nonetheless."

"I'm sure Neil would help, but I don't see him being able to give Jimmy four million dollars. Either way, Jimmy is still going to have to come up with that money." Sandy leans back off of the counter and grabs another dumpling. "I just don't know what else I can do to help the guy." He pops the dumpling in his mouth.

Kirsten smiles and hugs her husband from behind. "I love you so much, you know that? I feel so lucky to have such a selfless husband." Sandy scoffs. "I'm glad you're my moral compass." She turns him around and kisses him, then just stands in his arms for a moment.

Sandy breaks the silence after a few seconds. "So, how receptive was Lindsey to spending tomorrow afternoon with her two sisters?" He tries to grab another dumpling, but Kirsten smacks his hand away.

"Stop trying to snatch dumplings and wait for the boys," she admonishes. "You know, after Hailey's reaction to me mentioning Lindsey over Thanksgiving, I was really surprised when Hailey mentioned the sisterly outing. I think that a little bonding time is exactly what we all need. We never really got to know each other as sisters; we were all raised at different times. I got Mom _and_ Dad and everything that came along with it. Hailey got Mom for a little while, but Dad was so busy with Mom when she got sick that Hailey basically went through her teenage years by herself. Lindsey, on the other hand, never knew our mom and only lived with _her_ mom for a while. Dad officially adopted her at a pretty young age, when both Hailey and I were already gone."

"Whatever Hailey's reasons are, I'm glad you have something to distract you from what's going on with the Coopers right now." He hears the boys trudging down the stairs and grabs some plates to carry over to the dinner table.

"I know. And I still plan on calling Julie to see if they need help with anything. Her and Jimmy are two of my oldest friends and I hate to think of anything bad happening to them," she says, setting two platters down on the table. "Boys, dinner is on the table."

_Carson's dealership_

Where is this asshole, Luke thinks to himself and checks his watch for the fifth time. Zach is twenty minutes late and Luke is thinking he might have blown him off. He is just getting ready to give up when Zach pulls up in his SUV. Luke hops down off of his tailgate as Zach gets out of his vehicle and walks over to Luke's truck. "Nice to see you could schedule some time to come out and work on the project, Stevens. I've been waiting for you to show up for the past twenty minutes." Luke grabs his books out of his truck and the boys walk towards the dealership.

"I'm not on your time clock, Ward. Water polo practice ran late."

"Whatever, man. Let's just get this over with." Luke reaches for the door, but is stopped from opening it when Zach places his hand on the door.

"Let me make one thing clear to you, Ward: I want to be here just as little as you do. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go back to our own lives." He opens the door to the dealership and walks in, followed by Luke, who turns and relocks the door.

The two boys walk into Carson's office, which is filled with expensive-looking audio/visual equipment, and begin to work on their presentation. They quickly get absorbed in their work and, the next time they look at the clock, three hours have passed.

Luke stands and stretches. "So," he says, running his hand through his hair, "I guess we should probably bounce. It's getting' kinda late."

"Yeah, I guess so." Zach helps Luke pack up their supplies. They finish getting their belongings together and walk out of the office, into the show room. "So, I'll catch you tomorrow?" Zach holds out his hand.

"Yeah, sure," Luke says and takes the other boy's hand with his own in a firm grip. He looks over Zach's shoulder and smiles. "Hey it's my dad!" The smile quickly fades. "Who's the dude with him?"

Zach turns to see what Luke is looking at. "That's my dad!" He sees them holding hands and immediately starts to frown. "What the fuck?" The two older men, unaware of their sons' presence, walk in through the front of the building. They stop near the entrance and Carson brings Zach's father's hand up to his mouth and kisses it. The two begin to kiss heatedly. "Dad," Zach whimpers, feet frozen to the spot.

Luke has no such problem, instead backing away from the offending scene. However, he doesn't see the floor model parked behind him and bumps into it, setting off the alarm and spilling his supplies everywhere. The two fathers hear the alarm and look in their direction, finally seeing their sons.

"Luke? Luke, wait!"

"Zach! Let me explain!"

Carson tries to open the door to the show room, only to find out that Luke locked it on the way in. He pulls out his keys and desperately tries to unlock the door.

His father's voice finally breaks the spell over Zach. He turns to find Luke picking his books up off the floor. Zach quickly assists him and the boys stand and run out the side door as Luke's father finally unlocks the door to the show room.

_School, The Next Day_

"So, how was it," Seth asks as Luke and Marissa walk up to join Ryan, Taylor, Seth, and Summer in front of the school. "Is he really a demon? Did he try to steal your soul? I need information man!"

Summer slaps him on the shoulder. "He's not a demon and he doesn't try and steal souls. You forget that I dated him for a little while."

"I _had_ forgotten that until you mentioned it again," Seth says, rubbing his temples.

"Don't even bother you guys. He wouldn't tell me anything on the way here," Marissa offers.

"Look, he's just a normal guy, alright," Luke says, getting a little mad.

"You mean except for being a homo," Seth asks, smirking.

Luke turns on the skinny boy, rage in his eyes. "What did you say Corona?" He walks up to Seth threateningly, but Ryan stops him.

"Alright, that's enough! Marissa, take him off to class." Marissa grabs Luke's arm and drags him towards the classrooms.

Summer smacks Seth upside the head. "Way to go asshat!"

"Ow! Damn, I didn't know that was going to be such a touchy subject!"

"Neither did I," Ryan says, looking contemplative.

_Yogilates_

Julie, Kirsten, and Veronica all sit on the bench in the women's locker room, cooling down from their workout.

"So do you guys have any ideas," Julie asks. "You are two of the biggest real estate titans in Newport and my two best friends. If anyone can help Marissa and I out of this mess, it's you two. Please tell me you have an idea."

Veronica and Kirsten both look at each other.

"Julie, we're really sorry…" Veronica begins.

"But we think you're going to have to sell," Kirsten finishes.

Julie leans back against her locker and rubs her forehead. "I was afraid of that."

"We can help you find a place Julie," Veronica says. "Nobody knows this housing market better than me or Kirsten."

"How am I going to be able to afford it? I don't have a job!"

"We'll figure something out. Veronica and I won't let you be destitute. We're your friends and that's what we're here for. Speaking of, what about Neil? Have you told him what's going on or asked him for help?"

"We just started officially seeing each other, Kirsten. I can't just go up and ask him if I can move in with him! That seems a little forward for where we are in our relationship."

Veronica puts her hand on Julie's back then takes it off when she realizes how sweaty Julie is. "We'll come up with something. You'll be fine," she says, wiping her hand on her pants.

At that moment Taryn Baker comes running in, interrupting them. "Oh my God you guys, I just ran into Betsy on the elliptical trainer. She was getting her car serviced this morning." She looks around and continues, although softer. "Okay, come here, come here, come here," she says, as the large group of women in the locker room moves closer to hear. "Okay, you can't tell anyone, but you are not going to believe this…"

_School_

Lindsey walks up to Marissa and Summer, who are enjoying a free period in the lounge, drinking coffee and looking at magazines. "Hey Marissa," she says, sitting down and joining the two girls.

"Hey Lindsey. Everything okay," she asks, noticing the girl's reserved demeanor.

"I guess I should be asking you that. I'm really sorry to hear about Luke's dad. I know we haven't really been friends, but I feel bad with everything you've got going on, and then this happens to your boyfriend." She shakes her head in sympathy.

"What do you mean? What happened to Luke's dad?" Marissa looks confused.

"You mean you don't know," Lindsey asks.

"Know what," Summer asks as she sets down her magazine and joins the conversation.

_Luke's locker_

"I heard his favorite TV show is Dawson's Crack," one kid says, laughing.

"No way. I heard it was Everwoody," another says, joining in.

Luke slams his locker door and turns to walk away, almost running over Zach. "What the hell, Stevens? Who'd you tell, huh?" He shoves Zach in the chest.

"Screw you, Ward. You think I'd tell anyone. I'll bet you spilled it, just to get back at me." Zach shoves Luke back.

"Look at the little fairy kids trying to have a little fairy fight," 'Dawson' says as he approaches.

'Woody' joins him, laughing. "No way, man. I think they're going to kiss." He high fives 'Dawson' and they both laugh.

Luke and Zach look at each other, turn to the two other boys and simultaneously drop them to the floor with two punches.

"Ward! Stevens! I saw that," a teacher says as he walks up to the two boys left standing. "You two, office, now!"

Luke and Zach slowly grab their things and head in the direction of the Dean's office, casting dark looks at the two boys laying on the floor as they leave.

_The Mall, later_

"I feel so bad being at the mall, shopping, when my friend is going through financial trouble and the Wards are going through family trouble," Kirsten says as she and her two sisters leave the store they were shopping in.

"I agree," Lindsey adds. "I met Zach's parents a couple times and they seemed nice enough. I don't want to know what it's going to do to his dad's political career."

"There wouldn't have been any problems if they weren't gay," Hailey says. "If you ask me, I think they deserve everything they get."

Kirsten scowls. "That's terrible Hailey! Carson and Meredith have been friends of the family for a long time. Their son is best friends with _your_ nephew. Show a little sympathy. Their lives as they know it are probably over." She directs the other two into a very expensive department store, where they look at everything from watches and jewelry to make-up and blouses. Hailey seems to take particular interest in a very nice tennis bracelet. Finding some items and making a couple purchases, the three women leave the store, only to be stopped by the wailing sound of an alarm. Two guards immediately approach the trio and ask to see their receipt and bags. The women hand over their shopping bags and receipts. The guards go through the bags and, finding nothing, ask to see the women's purses. The sisters shrug and hand over their bags. The security guards look through Kirsten and Hailey's purses first and find nothing as well. However, as they look through Lindsey's handbag, they pull out the silver bracelet Hailey was looking at earlier, price tag still attached.

"Care to explain this, ma'am," the first guard asks.

"I have no idea how that got there!" Lindsey says, looking confused.

"We're going to need you to come with us, young lady," the second guard says, and begins to walk her back into the store.

"Kirsten! Please do something," Lindsey pleads, on the verge of tears.

"Excuse me, sir,"" Kirsten says, getting the first guards attention. "I'm Kirsten Cohen, and that is my sister. Would it be possible for you to release Lindsey into my custody?"

Guard one shakes his head. "I'm sorry ma'am, but we can't do that. We're going to have to process her first, and then decide if we're going to press charges. At that point, we'll call for a parent or guardian to come pick her up." The guard follows his partner and a crying Lindsey back into the store.

Kirsten reaches into her purse, pulls out her cell phone, and begins to dial.

"Who are you calling," Hailey asks her sister.

"Dad. He's going to lose it." Kirsten turns away to talk to her father, completely missing a smirking Hailey.

_Luke's house_

Ryan and Marissa both knock on the door of the Ward's house and stand on the porch, waiting for someone to answer the door. Meredith Ward answers the door, crying. She doesn't even wait for Ryan and Marissa, she just points up to Luke's room. Ryan notices that the normally out-of-control younger Ward boys, Brad and Eric, are sitting quietly and watching television. The two teens make their way up the stairs and arrive at Luke's room. Ryan knocks, and he and Marissa enter their friend's room to find him lying on his bed, listening to some music on his iPod.

"Hey man, how are you," Ryan asks as he gives his friend a one-armed hug.

"Could be better, I guess." Luke greets his girlfriend with a kiss and then sits back down on the bed. Marissa joins him and Ryan sits down at his computer chair.

"I believe that," Ryan says, shaking his head.

"What are your folks going to do? Your mom looks pretty upset." Marissa takes her boyfriend's hand.

"Yeah, my dad called her last night after I saw him at the dealership. She freaked and called some friends and, well, you know how gossip travels here. Next thing you know, the whole place knows."

"How are you dealing," Ryan asks his friend.

"'Bout how you would imagine. It totally blows. Dad is going to stay somewhere else for a while. I'm not sure if Mom will take him back or not. I just feel really helpless right now, like there's nothing I can do. You guys have no idea how much I just want to go get blitzed and kick the crap out of somebody."

"Speaking of," Marissa cuts in, "how did the dean deal with you and Zach beating up those two little assholes today at school?"

"They let us off. They already knew what had happened last night because of the rumors flying around and the teacher heard what those two morons said so we just got a warning. I don't think my parents would have given a shit either way," Luke says, looking in the direction of the hallway, where they can hear yelling.

Marissa sees him starting to get depressed. "Let's get out of here and go do something. Maybe we can go over to Ryan's and play some video games?"

"No way. I don't really feel like talking to anybody else right now, and I know that, between everybody else, I'll have to explain things and talk about it all night long. I kinda just want to be alone."

"Grab your board," Ryan says. "Mine's in the Jeep. We'll hit the waves."

Luke grins. "Cool. Thanks man."

"No worries."

Luke stands to grab his board, but stops. "Hey Cohen? Tell Corona I said sorry will you? I didn't mean to blow up on him, I just kinda had some stuff goin' on."

Ryan pats him on the shoulder. "I know man. So does Seth."

"Come on boys," Marissa pleads. "The weather is beautiful and I could use some sun! I mean…Luke could use the distraction!"

_Nichol Mansion_

A large, black limousine pulls up to the Nichol mansion and stops. The driver gets out, walks to the back, and opens the door. Caleb Nichol slowly steps out, followed by his youngest daughter.

"Daddy, please," Lindsey wails, "I really don't know how that bracelet got there!"

Caleb says nothing, only motioning her to follow him inside the house. He walks into his office and pours himself a scotch as Lindsey waits in the foyer. She knows better than to walk away, as her father has not dismissed her yet. Caleb soon returns from his office with drink in hand. He takes a small sip and savors the smooth taste. "Lindsey, go up to your room. I'll be joining you in a moment," he calmly tells his youngest as he takes another sip.

Lindsey's lower lip quivers and her eyes begin to glisten as she realizes what is coming. She slowly makes her way up the stairs.

Caleb patiently finishes his scotch and finally sets the empty glass down. Rolling his sleeves up, he climbs the same stairs his daughter took not more that three minutes prior. Kids today, he thinks to himself. They just have no respect for authority figures.

_School, next day_

"So you guys had a pretty good night surfing," Taylor asks her boyfriend.

"Yeah. Luke got to take out some aggression on the waves. I think he really needed that. But that's not even the end of the story. I get home and Mom tells me about Lindsey getting arrested. Shoplifting, she said. I thought she was doing better."

"Who knows? Maybe she just wanted some attention? They say that kids in troubled situations often act out, just to get attention."

"Yeah, well, I don't think she wanted Grandpa's attention. Mom said he was _pissed_." Ryan is interrupted as the teacher walks in.

"Okay class, that's enough. If everyone will take his or her seat, we'll begin. Has anyone seen Zach or Lindsey?"

Ryan and Taylor look over and see that the chairs belonging to both teens are empty. They share a worried look.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Taylor tries to tell Ryan.

"Regardless, we're going to call my mom after class."

_Nichol house, later_

Kirsten knocks hurriedly on the door to her father's house and Lindsey finally answers the door.

"Hey sis. Surprised to see you here. What's up," Lindsey asks, hiding behind the thick door.

"Ryan and Taylor called. They said you weren't at school today. I came over to check on you."

"Oh, right." Lindsey gives a fake cough. "I wasn't feeling so great today, so I thought I'd stay home. Dad said he'd call and let the school know. He must have forgotten."

"Lindsey, I have two teens of my own. You think I don't know a fake cough when I see one? You know, if this is in any way related to yesterday, you shouldn't try to hide. It's not going to go away and people are just going to gossip about it if you're not there to tell them the truth."

"Nothing good is going to come of going back. People will find out and I'm going to be a social leper!"

"It could be worse, sweetie. The store isn't pressing charges. You'll be okay."

"Fine," Lindsey says, rolling her eyes. "I'll go back tomorrow. Happy?"

"Very. Now come here and give me a hug." Kirsten reaches out to hug her sister, only to pull back in alarm when her hands touch Lindsey's back and she hisses in pain. "What's wrong," she asks. When Lindsey doesn't answer, she turns her around and lifts her shirt to see a large, purple handprint on her back. "Oh, sweetie," she says, tears forming, "did Dad do this?"

Lindsey doesn't respond. She just begins to bawl.

"Is he here?"

Lindsey shakes her head no.

"Go pack a bag with clothes and toiletries. I'm taking you home with me."

_The Newport Group_

Kirsten walks into her father's office and shuts the door.

"Kiki," Caleb exclaims, joy in his voice. "I'm surprised to see you here. Does this mean we're talking again?"

"No, Dad. This is me giving you notice. I'm quitting," she spits at the older man.

Caleb's face loses the happy expression and changes into that of stone: expressionless. "You won't quit Kirsten. You love this job. You said just as much."

"I know I did, which is what makes this so hard. But, when I found out that you were hitting Lindsey again, I realized that I had to do something."

"That's unfortunate Kiki, but I'll have you replaced before the day is over by some kid straight out of high school that I can pay half as much. You think you're punishing me? You're only punishing yourself," he says and turns back to his work on his desk.

"That saddens me Dad, it really does. I'm still going to do you one more favor though. I'm not going to tell the cops and I'm not going to tell Sandy. Lindsey might, but they won't hear about it from me." She begins to walk out of his office, but stops. "Oh and I guess I should tell you about my last act as Chief Financial Officer of The Newport Group. This afternoon, we purchased Julie Cooper's house. For four million dollars. Inserted in the bill of sale is a clause that The Newport Group will not sell the house for at least six months and that the Coopers will be able to live there, rent free, as long as they desire. Good-bye Dad." Kirsten opens the door to her father's office and walks out of The Newport Group for what could be the last time, leaving her father with a frown on his face.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that took so long to get out but I was out of town for a while, picking up my truck. I'm finally not dependent on anybody again! Yay! Also, if I made any mistakes on the real estate things or anything, I apologize. They're all mine and completely my fault. I blame my laziness; you can too. Random fact of the chapter: Yogilates is an exercise system that is a blend of yoga and Pilates created by certified Pilates instructor and yoga practitioner Jonathan Urla in 1997. Enjoy and please review!

AZ


	11. The Good Bye

Ryan exits his room, softly shutting the door behind him so as not to wake any of the other members of his family at this early hour, and turns to walk down the hallway. He walks down the stairs and, stepping through the archway and into the kitchen, is greeted by the strangest sight he may every see. His foster brother, Seth, is holding a standard Christmas candy cane in one hand, a gold plated menorah in the other. Lindsey, his aunt, is sitting next to him at the island, a glass of milk in her hand. Ryan quickly pinches himself to make sure that he isn't dreaming. Sensing the pain in his arm, he joins Lindsey at the island.

"Hey," he offers in greeting. "Can't sleep?"

"Nope. You?" She continues to stare at a contemplative Seth.

"Taylor just left. She woke me up." Lindsey nods in response, still focused on Seth, who seems to be in almost a trance like state. "What is he doing," Ryan asks, pointing at the other boy.

"I have no idea. I came down here for a glass of milk a half hour ago and he was sitting here doing that. I tried to ask him what's going on but all I got were mumbles about Christmas and Hanukkah. Does he do drugs?"

"Not anymore. Or at least I didn't think so." Ryan waves his hand in front of his friend's eyes and almost falls off the stool when Seth sets the two objects down on the counter.

"I can't do it Ryan, I just can't do it." Seth slumps his shoulders and huffs out a breath.

Lindsey looks at Ryan with a questioning look in her eyes. Ryan shakes his head violently, trying to tell his aunt not to ask the unspoken question, but she ignores him. "Okay creepy foster kid, I'll bite. What can't you do?"

"I can't choose! On the one hand, we've got the Christian and Catholic mythology here," he says, holding up the candy cane. "Jesus' birthday, Santa and his reindeer, trees with ornaments, the whole nine yards. Over here," he sets down the striped candy and picks up the menorah, "you've got the Old Testament, Moses fighting for our people, eight days filled with gift giving, spinning dreidels, latkes, lighting the menorah, over a week of fun! It's just too much fun to have to choose. I shouldn't be the one to have to do it." He sets the menorah back down and lays his head on the counter.

"Wait, so why do you get to be the one to choose? I happen to like Christmas. A lot."

"I'm going to agree with Ryan here. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be here through the holidays and I like Christmas too. Plus, don't you have to be Jewish to celebrate Hanukkah," Lindsey asks.

"Of course you don't have to be Jewish to celebrate Chris-" Seth stops what he was saying, looking shocked. He holds his hands out to his sides, alternating between looking at each on and saying either Christmas or Hanukkah. He finally brings them together in a praying gesture. "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Moses." He takes the candy cane and places it in the center candleholder of the menorah. Looking pleased with himself, he walks out the back door and back to the pool house. Lindsey and Ryan both follow his movements with twin confused expressions.

"Is he always like that," Lindsey asks her nephew.

"Yep," Ryan says, taking Lindsey's empty glass and washing it out in the sink. Finishing, he heads out of the kitchen.

"Wait! You're not going to explain it to me?" Ryan just stares at her. "Right. Good night."

_Next Day_

"Christmas…sucka?" Kirsten looks at her adopted son in confusion. "You want us to celebrate 'Christmassucka' instead of Christmas?"

Ryan laughs so hard he almost sprays his coffee out of his nose. Sandy joins him in chuckling.

Seth scowls at the two. "First of all, Mother version two, it's not 'Christmassucka'. It's Chrismukkah. You're far too WASPy to sound like you're in a blaxploitation film." This time, Sandy almost spills his coffee as he laughs. "Secondly, I don't WANT to replace Christmas. Think of it as…_consolidating_ two major holidays into one über-holiday. I don't want you to take down your Christmas tree. I just think it would look even better with a Star of David on top." Kirsten folds her arms and glares at the newest addition to their family. Seth looks to Sandy for help. "Father version 1.5, a little assistance here?"

"Version 1.5," Sandy questions.

"Well, you're not really version two, since I never knew version one, so I'm compromising," Seth explains.

Sandy nods his head as if that explanation makes perfect sense.

"Sandy! You don't mean to tell me that you're following along with this? I've been listening to his whole explanation and I still have no idea what it is!" She looks over at Ryan, hoping for some backup from the more grounded of her two sons, only to see that he's grinning at Sandy. "Oh, not you too!" Ryan shrugs, still grinning.

"Well," Sandy says, drawing it out, "I have to admit sweetie, the holiday season has been a little 'Protestant-flavored' lately." Seth lets out a whoop and drags Ryan off to the garage to look through the holiday themed decorations. Sandy watches them walk out with a smile on his face. He turns back to his wife and sees that she doesn't share the same holiday sentiment. "Come on, Kirsten, why not let him have fun? You know we're not particularly religious, especially around this time of year, and it would do a lot to welcome him into the family."

Kirsten rolls her eyes and finally breaks into a smile. "Fine, but I want a complete layout of all holiday planned events around the house and what's going to change thanks to this new 'über-holiday' that Seth has planned." She stops as Lindsey enters the kitchen. "Hey sweetie. Coffee?"

Lindsey shakes her head. "No thanks. I don't drink that stuff. What's all this talk about changing holidays?"

"Ask Seth," both adults say simultaneously.

Lindsey shakes her head as she fills a glass with orange juice. "Ryan," she calls out, "what is the creepy foster kid doing to Christmas?" She heads in the direction of the garage.

"Speaking of your sister," Sandy starts, "are you ever going to tell me why we now have another female staying here?"

"Yes, but not right now. Just trust me when I say she couldn't stay with Dad anymore."

"Of course I trust you, Honey. I'm here when you're ready to talk." He kisses his wife on the cheek, grabs his briefcase and heads off to work.

_The Newport Group_

Caleb Nichol sits in his office, at his desk, quietly fuming. It has been over two weeks since he had lost his youngest daughter to his oldest and he was still upset at the fact that he had been taken, not only about Lindsey, but that he had been forced to purchase Julie Cooper's house. His lawyers had looked through the contract with a fine-tooth comb, but were unable to find a single loophole. Kirsten had done a fine job at writing it up. It's too bad she wasn't more unscrupulous with her morals or she would make a fine Chief Executive Officer for his company one day. As it was, he was lucky that she was keeping up her end of the bargain. He still hadn't heard anything for the authorities or, for that matter, Sandy Cohen so that must mean his oldest and youngest daughters were keeping everything under wraps. Speaking of his youngest, he was still unable to find a way to bring her back home. Everything he could come up with, from filing kidnapping charges to reporting a runaway, all involved the authorities and that was something he didn't want to deal with. No, that was something he _couldn't_ deal with. "Jenny," he screams out the door, in the direction of his assistant's desk.

The poor, young brunette girl comes running into her boss' office, Blackberry to one ear, Bluetooth headset on the other, two phone calls being conducted simultaneously. She pauses both conversations and reflects on how she went from graduating at the top of her class at Stanford's business school to being Caleb Nichol's, well, bitch. She took the job, thinking that she spend, at the most, a few months tending to his _needs_ and then be offered a position in junior management. Little did she know how wrong she was. She'd been his _receptionist_ for the past two years and her MBA was going to waste. More than once she'd considered quitting and applying for another job. Anywhere. Apparently though, once you worked for The Newport Group you were considered black listed by almost every other company on the west coast. Most businesses figured that what she might have learned from Caleb Nichol was potentially hazardous to their business operations and refused to give her an opportunity, let alone a phone call back. So she stuck with the job and hoped that one day soon, the old bastard would croak and she'd get her long deserved promotion, or at least another job. "Yes, sir?"

"Where in the hell have you been? I wanted that land survey of the Balboa Heights hours ago. Where the hell is it?"

"It just came in the fax ten seconds ago, sir. I've got it right here." She hands the paper over to the older man, who studies it intensely for a few moments, then breaks out in a grin.

"Very good, very good. Jenny, pack up all of the documents regarding the Balboa Heights and have them delivered over to my house this evening. I'll be working from home for the next couple weeks." Jenny affords herself an internal smile as she thinks of her first holiday vacation since being hired on at The Newport Group. The smile disappears at Caleb's next words. "I'm going to need you here over the holidays since I'll be working on The Balboa Heights project the entire time. I want you to screen all of my calls and forward only the most important on to me at home." Caleb picks up his briefcase and, without so much as a 'Happy Holidays' to his long suffering secretary, he walks through the doorway of his office.

She lifts the Blackberry to her head and hears the dead line. Sighing, she reactivates the Bluetooth headset at her other ear, and hears the same thing. "I hate the holidays," she moans.

_School_

"Hey, babe."

Ryan sees his girlfriend at her locker, swapping the books she is carrying with ones needed for her next classes. He sneaks up behind her and kisses her in that soft spot on her collarbone that he knows will just drive her crazy. She does indeed moan a little before she pushes him back.

"Ryan," she hisses. "Stop that before you start something you can't finish." She smiles at him and kisses him on the lips. "We'll have time enough for _that_ during Winter Break. Now look at what Lindsey and I made during Home Economics today," she says, reaching around behind herself and producing a small, red Santa hat.

Ryan looks confused. "It's a small Santa hat? Uhm, nice?"

Taylor softly smacks him on the shoulder. "It's a yarmulclaus! She told me all about Seth's 'über-holiday' that starts tomorrow night and I think it's an awesome idea. None of our parents are really big on religion anyway, and it would allow Seth to get a little involved in your holiday traditions as a family."

"You don't have to convince me," Ryan says, smiling. "I'm already sold on the whole theory. Seth is going to flip when he sees what you guys made."

"I hope so! So," she draws out, as she puts the red felt hat back in her locker, "what are we doing tonight? More sweaty fun?" She smiles mischievously at her boyfriend.

Ryan raises his eyebrows questioningly. "You want another round?" He looks around worriedly, but sees nobody paying any attention. "I figured that, after last night, you'd be so sore that you wouldn't want to go at it again for at least a few days," he says, lowering his voice to a whisper. "We had sex, like, five times Taylor!"

"I know," she says, winking. "Think we'll do better tonight? I'll bring the nurse outfit…" she whispers in his ear.

Ryan gives an involuntary shudder. "My place, midnight."

"Why do we always have to go to your place," Taylor pouts. "I'm scared your parents are going to walk in on us in one of the many unnatural positions we've attempted. Ooh ooh!" She starts to jump up and down. "Let's go to my place! I've got all my costumes there, my mom will probably be busy with Jimmy Cooper, and we can try out those furry little handcuffs I bought!"

"Taylor, stop," Ryan pleads, showing Taylor his discomfort with continuing the current topic of discussion by discretely pointing out his _predicament_. "We can talk about this later."

"What's wrong, Ryan? Am I making you a little…_nervous_?" Taylor bats her eyes innocently. She looks around, sees that the few people that were around are almost all gone, and unbuttons the top two buttons of her blouse, showing Ryan the red, lacy lingerie she is wearing. "Ryyyyannnn…" she softy sing-songs, "the panties maaaatch."

Somehow, Ryan plucks from his foggy mind the fact that he and Taylor both have a free period. "Car, now."

_Therapist's office, after school_

Marissa signs the clipboard reserved for her therapist's patients, opens the door, and walks into the waiting room. The sight that greets her is not a welcome one. In the armchair facing the door sits a smiling Oliver Trask. She sighs as she sits down in the couch furthest from her would-be stalker. "Oliver, so good to see you. Again."

"Hey Marissa. Good to see you again. I thought we were going to hang out last week?"

"Oh yeah, well, I totally forgot I had a Social Committee meeting that day. Sorry," she says, feigning disappointment.

"Well, I tried to call you to see what happened and the operator said the number was disconnected."

"I think that was my old number I must have given you, or something. I can't remember."

"So then I was just going to ask you about it when we were waiting for our appointments and you never showed up."

"Yeah, um, Wednesday just wasn't working for me. Luke, you know, my boyfriend? He has soccer games on Wednesday nights so I couldn't really make those appointments anymore. So," she says, pausing, "you changed your appointment dates so that you could hang out with me? How did you even find out when my appointments changed to?"

"You should have seen it, Marissa. You would have thought it was pretty imaginative. I just went up to the receptionist and used the cover story that I was your boyfriend. Worked like a charm." Oliver smiles at what he thinks is a clever move that will be appreciated by the object of his affection. "Why don't you give me your number real quick? We'll hang out over the holidays or something?"

Just then the door opens to Dr. Wallerstein's office and another young person exits. Saved by the bell, Marissa thinks. "Oh, I've got to go," she says motioning to the door. "Maybe next time." She walks into the office, shutting the door to the lounge behind her and drowning out Oliver's request for her to wait. Marissa sits in the very comfortable chair facing her therapist.

"Hello, Marissa," the older woman greets the teen. "How are you doing today? Anything new since last week?"

"Not really, just getting ready for the holidays. Actually, before we start, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, sweetie. What's on your mind?" The woman sets the pad on her lap and focuses on her patient.

"I was actually wondering what you knew about that boy that's outside in the waiting room every time I come for an appointment. His name is Oliver Trask."

"Marissa, you know that I'm not allowed to talk to you about any of my other patients. That's a violation of doctor-patient confidentiality. However, that boy isn't one of my clients. I do share that lounge with two other doctors, but they are all good friends of mine and I've never heard them mention an Oliver before. Is everything okay, dear?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just was wondering if you knew anything about him, that's all." Marissa leans back in the chair and sighs.

"That's good to hear. Now, tell me all about what's been going on the past week and what you and your family have planned for the holidays."

_Cohen Residence_

"Good evening, Mrs. C," Summer says, walking into the kitchen and encountering Kirsten Cohen intensely reading a thick volume of some sort. "Studying for something?"

"Hey Summer," the blonde woman says in greeting. She holds the book up and Summer sees that it is a Jewish cookbook.

"Wow, Mrs. C. You doing a little light reading?"

Kirsten gives her son's girlfriend a smirk. "Very funny, young lady. I'm actually looking up recipes for Hanukkah, thinking I can convert some to 'Chrismukkah' recipes for dinner tomorrow. I figured that, if we're going to help Seth create this 'über-holiday' as he's calling it, we're all going to have to contribute. It is my job to create original culinary amalgamations, as Seth so succinctly put it. This is going to be called a 'latkake', which is part fruitcake, part latke."

Summer studies the ingredients list. "This sounds really difficult. I thought you weren't a very good cook?"

"Hey!" Kirsten glares at the younger girl, who refuses to back down and places her hands on her hips. Kirsten's gaze softens. "Okay, you're right. I'm _not_ really that great of a cook. Luckily, the fruit will already be candied and I'm fairly certain that I can make potato pancakes, so I think I _might_ be all right. What are you contributing to this new holiday?"

"Well, I've got Taylor and Lindsey's contribution here," she says, showing Kirsten the yarmulclaus the two girls created. "There's a whole box of them for tomorrow in my car. I came up with something too." Summer shows Kirsten the other item that she has hidden in her bag: a small palm frond with attached pinecone and berries. "I'm calling it a mistlepalm frond. Instead of kissing under the mistletoe, we now kiss underneath the mistlepalm. What do you think?"

Kirsten chuckles. "I love them both and I think Seth will too."

"Where is he at, anyway? I have to run these ideas by him."

"He's out in the pool house. I think his job at The Bait Shop is really taking it out of him. He came right home from work and took a nap." Kirsten looks worriedly at the small building with its blinds drawn at the edge of the pool.

"Come on, Mrs. C! He doesn't do anything but mop and pick up empty cups. It's, like, the easiest job in the world. I mean, I wouldn't do it, but it's, like, the perfect job for Seth."

"Well, I suppose it _is_ nice that he is motivated enough to do something other than just school. I hope that it's not just about making money. He knows that we would give him whatever he needs, right?" She looks at Seth's girlfriend for confirmation.

"It's not that, trust me. He doesn't mind taking money from you two; it's just that he felt like he needed something of his own. Marissa, Taylor and I have Social Committee; Luke and Ryan have soccer. He just needed something that he could do. All of those whiny bands that he loves so much play there all the time, so I think getting paid is second to getting free tickets to the shows. I think you guys have made it more than clear that he's a part of the family, through the good AND the bad."

"Thanks, sweetie." Kirsten gives the girl a hug. "I'm glad you finally found a way into our family. I don't think you and Ryan would have ever worked out together because you're too much alike. You and Seth, however, are perfect for each other. Now go out there and wake him up. Tell him we'll be having dinner soon."

Summer walks out of the patio doors, in the direction of her boyfriend's bedroom. Approaching the doors, she looks through the crack in the blinds and sees the lights out inside. She quietly opens the door and sneaks inside, quickly closing it behind her. Seth is sprawled out on the mattress, resting peacefully. She had entered fully intending on waking her boyfriend up and showing him the Chrismukkah creations she had brought with her. However, upon seeing him sleeping so soundly after a long day at work, she reconsiders that idea. Summer sets her bag on the floor and, slipping her shoes off, quietly joins Seth on the bed, lays her head down on his chest, and snuggles into the crook of his arm. Seth unconsciously senses her presence and wraps her up with his arm. Summer drifts off, enveloped in her boyfriends embrace, wondering if times like these were what Chrismukkah was all about.

_Nichol Mansion_

"Caleb Nichol," the grey haired businessman says as he picks up the phone. He quickly recognizes the voice of his attorney, Jacob Graveson. "Jake! Tell me you've got good news, in regards to my daughter _and_ the Balboa Heights project."

_Well, I've got good news and bad news. I know that you always want the good news first, so I'll start with that. My sources tell me that The Balboa Land Trust is just about ready to give in to your demands. They initially balked at the asking price of 300 million, but I think that your son-in-law is just about ready to give up._

"I knew that tree hugging hippy was too stupid to figure out what was wrong with the Heights. Why my daughter married him, I have no idea. Speaking of, what do you have to tell me about my youngest? Obviously it's bad news, but is it really that bad?"

_It's not good, Cal. Basically, you're out of options without involving the police, and I heartily object to that route. If you go to the cops and file a report, the chances of her telling them why she went to her sister's house in the first place are pretty good._

"What about Kirsten? Can't she be charged as an accomplice if Lindsey says that she knew about it?"

_You'd be willing to allow your daughter to take a fall? I forgot how ruthless you really are, Cal._

"If I go down, I'm not going down alone. Kiki brought this upon herself when she decided she wanted to get involved in my affairs. Besides, I wasn't talking about the cops actually finding out. I just wanted to use it as blackmail to keep Lindsey from telling anyone about what happened."

_Always the strategist, aren't you? It might work, but I wouldn't suggest it. If the police find out you coerced a minor into giving misleading information, you're in much deeper water than the pool you're already in. Unless you can figure out a way to get Lindsey out of the area before the authorities have a chance to talk to her, you're just going to have to count yourself lucky that she hasn't gone to talk to them already. I've got to run, Cal. I have another client waiting. We'll get together in a few days to iron out the details of the Balboa Heights sale. Happy Holidays._

"You too, Jake." Caleb hangs up the phone, wheels turning in his mind as he contemplates his attorney's last statement regarding his daughter. He picks the phone back up and dials a number, leaning back in his chair as he listens to it ring.

_The Cooper Household_

"Hey Dr. Roberts," Luke says as he walks into the Cooper house. "What's going on?"

"Oh, not much Luke. I'm just having dinner with Julie. Are you here to see Marissa?"

"Yes, sir. I thought maybe she might want to go out and get some dinner, but if you guys are eating I can just come back."

"Actually Marissa didn't join us for dinner tonight. She was complaining about a headache when she came back from her appointment with her therapist and went upstairs to take a nap. She hasn't been down since. Julie was about to go up to check on her," he motions over his shoulder to Julie, who is walking toward them.

"Hi, Mrs. Cooper." Luke gives the elder Cooper woman a hug, and is greeted with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, Luke. If I had known you were coming over, I would have made some extra food."

"I'll call next time, I promise." He looks up the stairs, in the direction of his girlfriend's room. "Is everything okay with Marissa?"

"I don't know. Like Neil said, she didn't come down for dinner. I was just getting ready to go see if she was hungry yet."

"Do you mind if I go check on her, Mrs. Cooper? I was busy at school today and I haven't seen her since yesterday."

"Of course, Luke. You know where her room is," Julie says, stepping aside to let the young boy pass.

"Thanks, Mrs. Cooper. Dr. Roberts, it was good seeing you again. You, me, and Seth have to get together again and do some more golfing. I hear Summer's game is improving, too. Maybe she can come along?"

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll have to set something up." He shakes Luke's hand and the boy moves up the stairs. Julie and Neil watch him go.

"Sometimes I wonder what that boy would be like if he didn't grow up around Sandy and Kirsten's boy, Ryan," Neil muses.

"He probably would have ended up like half of the other Newport kids: spoiled rotten and feeling like he's entitled to everything, just like Zach Stevens."

"How _are_ the Stevens' doing? I don't imagine that the scandal has been good for his political career."

"Veronica, Kirsten, and I were at yogilates the other day when Taryn said that his father resigned his position in Congress. Apparently, all of the publicity and paparazzi was getting to them. I think she said that they were taking Zach out of school over the holidays and moving somewhere on the east coast."

"That's unfortunate," Neil says, rejoining Julie at the dinner table. "As much trouble as the Stevens' have caused this semester, it's too bad that they are going through this."

_Upstairs_

Luke knocks softly on Marissa's door and, upon receiving no answer, slowly cracks the door. He sees his girlfriend sitting on her bed, earbuds in her ears and book in her lap. He walks into her room and catches her attention. Marissa smiles when she sees Luke and takes out her earbuds. "Hey," she says softly.

"Hey babe," he says, smiling. "You don't look like you have a headache." He sits down next to her on the bed.

Marissa kisses him. "Yeah, I might have made that up. I just wanted a little alone time without my mom asking me questions about therapy and stuff." She leans her head down on Luke's shoulder.

"Everything going okay with that? How are your new days working out?"

"Not as good as I had hoped. That creepy kid, Oliver, followed me to my new days."

Luke's smile falls into a frown. "What's wrong with that kid? Can't he get a clue?"

"I guess not. He worries me a little, like he's a little unstable. Did any of your friends from Pacific find out anything about him?"

"Those guys said that they don't even know this kid, Oliver. They _do_ remember some girl being stalked by this crazy guy about a year ago, but it didn't really get out much and the girl moved away. Are you sure that he goes to Pacific?"

"Pretty sure. He's never given me the impression that I know him from Harbor so I'm willing to believe that part of his story. I don't know what to do anymore. I've tried changing my days, giving him wrong phone numbers, hiding from him. Nothing seems to work. He's making me not want to see my therapist anymore."

"Have you thought about talking to her, or your mom, about it? Maybe they would be able to do something?"

"No, I think I can handle this on my own. I just need to talk to him and tell him to leave me alone. Maybe he'll listen to reason."

"You sure babe? If you want, I can be there so he doesn't try anything funny."

"Thanks," she says, shifting to lie down in Luke's lap. "I promise that I'll be careful. I just wish he'd go away on his own, though."

"I know, babe. So are you feeling up to going over to the Cohens' place for this Chrismukkah thing tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay. I think Seth's excitement for it is contagious. I'm kind of excited myself to come over to see what it's all about. You want to stay here with me tonight," Marissa asks, looking up into Luke's eyes. "You could go home in the afternoon and get ready while I'm getting dressed."

"I don't know, Riss. My folks might not think too highly of me staying the night at my girlfriend's house."

"Please, Luke? I could really use the company after the day I had today."

Luke breaks down as he sees the look in his girlfriend's eyes. "You know that I can't say no to you. Let me call my folks and Cohen. I'll tell them I'm staying at his place tonight."

Luke makes the required phone calls, his parents having no problem with him staying at Ryan's, and Ryan having no problem covering for him. The two teens sit for awhile, just enjoying each others company, Marissa still lying in Luke's lap, his arms sitting protectively on her hip and shoulder. Eventually, they shift so that both teens are lying down on the bed, Marissa in Luke's arms. They both drift off that way, neither having the energy to get under the covers. Marissa lets out a sigh; her last conscious thought before sleep takes her is that, despite everything her family has been through in the past six months, she is thankful for everything she has this 'Chrismukkah' season.

_Downstairs_

"No problem Carson. We'll keep an eye on them. I'm sure they're not up to anything. Of course I'll let you know. Will we see you tomorrow at the Cohen's for dinner? Oh, well that's too bad. Have a good night, Carson. Good bye." Julie hangs the cordless phone back up on the wall and turns to face Neil. "It didn't take Carson long to figure out that Luke was here and not at the Cohen's, where he said he'd be."

"Should we go get Luke? Tell him to go back home?"

Julie looks up at the stairs. "No, I think they'll be okay. Marissa looked like she had some things on her mind and because I'm her mother that automatically disqualifies me from being someone to talk to. We'll let them sleep. They won't do anything inappropriate with us here in the house. Now," she says, taking Neil's hand in hers and leading him over to the couch, "let's uncork this bottle of wine and get back to our movie."

_Cohen Household, Ryan's room_

"So what did Luke want," Taylor asks as her boyfriend rejoins her on his bed. She lowers her head back onto his chest and Ryan begins to stroke her hair.

"He wanted me to cover for him with his dad. Apparently, he's sleeping over at Marissa's house but he didn't want to tell his dad that."

"How are you going to cover for him? If Carson were going to check up on Luke, wouldn't he call the house phone?"

"Carson won't call. He probably already knows Luke isn't here. I'm sure he's calling Marissa's house right now. He's a pretty smart guy."

"He does seem pretty intuitive. So," Taylor says as she reaches over to turn off the lamp on Ryan's bedside table, "are you ready to start the movie back up?"

"How did we go from planning a night of crazy sex at your house to watching _The Notebook_ for probably the tenth time?"

"Well, after we went at it on our free period, you said your back was sore and I have to admit my legs were a bit exhausted too, especially after the marathon sex we had last night. So I asked you if you wanted to watch a movie instead and you agreed but you don't like my couches so you said we should watch it here but when we got here, your parents were watching TV-" She is silenced by Ryan's finger over her lips.

"My fault for asking. I guess it was more of a rhetorical question anyway." He picks up the remote and resumes one of Taylor's (and, secretly, one of his) favorite movies.

_Later, Living Room_

Sandy turns off the television as the movie ends and joins his wife in standing. "Good movie, sweetheart. I love _The Notebook_."

Kirsten smiles at her husband. "No you don't, but _I_ love that you watch it with me every time that I want to, even when you'd rather watch something else." She kisses him on the cheek. "You want to go check on Seth and Summer and I'll go check on Ryan and Taylor?"

"Sure. I'll see you up at the room in a minute."

Kirsten slowly ascends the stairs, habitually avoiding the one in the middle that she knows lets out the most ear-piercing squeal. She makes it to the top without setting off the touchy board and reaches her son's room. She softly opens the door and the sight that greets her makes her smile. Taylor is curled up in Ryan's arms, snoring softly. Ryan has one arm curled around her shoulders, the other resting comfortably behind his head. The movie she and her husband had just finished is scrolling through the credits on Ryan's television. To her relief, both teens are fully clothed. She walks into the room and, grabbing a spare blanket from Ryan's closet, covers him and the girl that she has thought of as a daughter for many years. She turns off the television and walks to the door, only to be stopped by her son's voice.

"Mom," he whispers questioningly.

"Yeah sweetie?"

"Good night. I love you."

Kirsten's eyes tear up a little. "I love you too, sweetie. Sleep good." She shuts the door as she makes her exit, pausing once outside the room to wipe the tear from her eye. She looks up to see Sandy leaning against the wall watching her. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough," he says, placing his hand around her waist and leading her to their bedroom. "You know, it's not going to be much longer before he's too old for you to call him sweetie," he teases.

"I know," she says, sighing. "Even the thought of Seth moving off to college in a couple years makes me emotional, and he's only been a part of the family for six months. I can still remember the days when Ryan thought Marissa, Summer, and Taylor were 'gross' and he didn't want to have anything to do with them. Now, he's got Taylor in his bed, sleeping. He's always going to be my little boy, Sandy." She pulls the covers back and lies down in bed.

"I know. He's always going to be my little guy, too." He joins her in their bed and scoots over so that her back is against his chest. She relaxes back against him, and the two quickly fall asleep, still as much in love as the day they married.

_Next Day_

"Morning!"

Kirsten walks into the kitchen, currently occupied by her sons, her sons' girlfriends, and her youngest sister.

"Morning," they all repeat in unison.

"Wow, that wasn't strange at all," Lindsey says around a bite of bagel.

"That's just the first of many Chrismukkah miracles, everyone," Seth observes.

Ryan is confused. "How is us saying the same thing a 'miracle'?"

"That just seems like a coincidence to me," Taylor adds.

"Philistines, all of you. You will all be converts to my great holiday when all is said and done."

"You're starting to make this holiday sound like a cult, Seth," his girlfriend says.

"Ryan, back me up man. Even my girlfriend is doubting the joy of Chrismukkah."

Ryan gives a look that says he kind of agrees with her, and then gives him a little sympathetic shrug of the shoulders.

"Aww, it's okay sweetie." Kirsten pats him on the shoulder. "You've got one convert already. I'm already starting to feel the Chrismukkah buzz and, after the Chrismukkah kick-off dinner tonight, I'm sure everyone else will too."

"Speaking of," Summer interrupts, "I've actually got to go home and set my things out for the dinner. Taylor, are you coming over tonight so we can do our hair?"

"Yeah, I'll see you there around three." Taylor looks over and sees Lindsey focusing on the pattern on the kitchen island. She decides to take action. "Lindsey, do you want to come over too?"

Lindsey looks up at the mention of her name. "Uhm, sure. As long as it's okay with Summer." She gives a hopeful look to the short brunette.

"Of course it's okay. I didn't even think to invite you, I'm so sorry! Taylor and Marissa and I usually get together to do our hair before we go to any parties."

"Thanks Summer. And Taylor," the redhead amends.

Taylor looks over at her boyfriend, who mouths a 'thank you' her way. She blows an air kiss at him in response. Kirsten witnesses this exchange and smiles at the two high school sweethearts.

_Cooper House_

Luke tiptoes down the stairs, looking in both directions when he reaches their base. Seeing nobody, he continues on towards the front door and nearly makes it out when a voice calls his name.

"Luke!" Julie Cooper is sitting in what was formerly her ex-husband's office, looking expectantly at her daughter's boyfriend. "Why don't you come in and sit down?"

"Oh, hey Mrs. Cooper," Luke says nervously, fidgeting a little. "You know, I really need to get home and get ready for Chrismukkah dinner at the Cohens' place. And I'm sure my dad is worrying about me too."

"You have plenty of time to get ready for dinner tonight and your father already knows where you are."

"He does?" Luke walks into the study and joins Julie in sitting in a chair.

"Yes. He called last night, asking if you were here. Apparently, you said you were going to Ryan's?" Luke begins to protest, but Julie stops him by holding up a finger. "Don't worry, Ryan didn't tell your father anything, he already knew you weren't there. He wasn't upset, but he may have some words for you about knowing where you are going to be. That's not why I want to talk to you though."

"What's it about then," Luke asks, looking relieved that the woman isn't going to chastise him for spending the night.

"I know that something was bothering Marissa last night, and I know it had something to do with her time at therapy. I just want to make sure that she's okay and that it's not something too serious."

"Uh-" Luke begins, only to be interrupted by Julie.

"I'm not going to tell her that you talked to me. I just want to know that the therapy is helping, not hindering, her progress."

Luke thinks for a moment. "She's doing good," he finally answers. "Another patient there is kinda bothering her a little, but she's a big girl and she can handle it. She likes it a lot, because she says that she can talk to her therapist about stuff that she can't talk to you, or me, or Ryan about."

"That's good, although this 'other patient' bothers me a bit." Julie chews her lip worriedly for a moment.

"You promised you wouldn't intervene, remember?"

"I did no such thing, but I'll stay out of her business. You're right, she _is_ a big girl now. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that. Now go on," she says, waving her daughter's boyfriend away. "Go get ready for that dinner. Neil, Marissa and I will see you there."

_Cohen residence, later that night_

"Dear Moses, I am so full," Seth exclaims, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his belly.

"Aww, my baby needs a post-dinner nap," Summer says, joining Seth in rubbing his stomach.

"You think you're joking, but I just might do that," Seth deadpans.

"Did anyone else like the meal?" Kirsten looks nervously around the table.

"Well, it was _interesting_, Kiki. I thought the odd-tasting pancakes with the candied fruit were…inventive," Julie offers.

"According to Seth, they're called 'latkakes' and the reason they taste different is because they're made from potatoes."

"I thought everything was delicious Keeks," Taylor says, a bit too enthusiastically.

"Thank you Taylor. Anyone else?"

Her son and husband are the next to offer token words of praise. "It was great, Mom." "Delicious, Honey."

"Oh, shut up you two. Next year it's Thai take-out," she says with a smile.

Everyone begins to clean up their plates and clear the table. The doorbell rings and Kirsten goes to answer it.

"Dad," she says in surprise as she opens the door. "We just finished dinner. You'll have to come back later." She goes to close the door, but her father stops its progress.

"Just a moment, Kiki. You can return to your party momentarily, but first I'm here to retrieve Lindsey." Caleb walks into the house, ignoring his eldest daughter's stunned face.

"I don't think so, Dad. Not after what you did to her. She's going to be staying with us until I figure out a more permanent solution."

"I don't think I can allow that any more. As my daughter, she belongs with me."

"Kirsten, is everything okay," Lindsey asks as she walks into the foyer. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

"I've come to collect you, Lindsey. You see, I'm enrolling you in the prestigious Aiglon College in Switzerland. You'll be leaving tonight so I'll need you to go upstairs and grab your bags." Lindsey stays rooted to the spot in pure shock. "NOW," Caleb says sternly, at which point Lindsey runs upstairs.

"Switzerland, Dad? You're not going to get away with this, you know that right?"

"Of course I will, Kiki. You can't tell anyone that you knew about what was going on, or you'll be charged as an accomplice for not reporting it right away."

"Sandy will do something."

"Sanford?" Caleb snorts in amusement. "Your hippy husband couldn't argue his way out of a cardboard box. Even if he _did_ know a way to get around your little screw up, I'd think that he would be pretty upset at you for not telling him what was going on, wouldn't you? Do you think your relationship can survive something like that?" Kirsten bites her lip. "I didn't think so. Lindsey," he says, seeing his youngest approaching with her suitcase, "you're back. Go ahead and say good-bye to your sister. It's going to be awhile before you see her again."

"Kirsten," Lindsey says, looking questioningly up at her sister with tears in her eyes, "isn't there anything you can do?"

"I'm so sorry, sweetie." She leans over and hugs her sister, tears running down her cheeks. "I screwed up and there's nothing I can do to fix it."

"It's okay. Will you tell everyone that I said good-bye?"

"I will. Be good, okay? Write me."

Caleb pushes Lindsey out the door, turning before he crosses the threshold himself. "Happy holidays, Kiki."

"Screw you, Dad," Kirsten says, slamming the door in his face.

_Nichol Mansion_

"You've got five minutes to pack a bag," Caleb says as Lindsey exits the limo.

She walks into the front door and runs, crying, up to her room. She quickly packs a bag, not wanting to incur her father's wrath, and heads back down to the front door. Before she can open it, a box marked '**Balboa Heights ****Sensitive**'on the floor catches her attention. Remembering that her father was currently locked in a battle with Sandy Cohen over the Heights, she opens the box. Spotting the land appraisal at the top of the stack and noticing the extreme difference between the value of the land and what Mr. Cohen was paying her father for it, she decides that maybe she would pay her father back for all of the crap she'd been put through for the past few months. She quickly folds the sheet and places it in her pocket. Closing the box, she returns it to its spot on the floor and says good-bye to her home for the foreseeable future.

_Airport_

"Bye, Daddy."

Caleb doesn't look up from his notes or put his call on hold to say good-bye to his daughter. Instead, he lifts his hand and waves once. He then goes back to scribbling furiously on the pad sitting in his lap. Lindsey wipes a final tear from her eye and steps out of the limo. Grabbing her one bag, she walks into the airport to check in, followed by her father's bodyguard, presumably to make sure that she doesn't make a scene. Once she gets through check-in and ditches the bodyguard, she heads to the first shop she sees and walks up to the register.

"Excuse me? I'm going to need a stamp and an envelope, please."

* * *

A/N: Wow, has it really been almost a month since I've updated this story? I'm sorry for the wait, I really am. I've been suffering from a severe case of writer's block and I had to drag this chapter out, kicking and screaming. I actually lost it once, although I was lucky enough that my dad has a back-up drive (yes!) so I didn't really lose it. For those that don't back their stuff up, I would suggest emailing yourself a copy of your chapters periodically, or use floppy disks. Just a suggestion. Random fact of the chapter: The question, when was the first boarding school founded, is a difficult one to answer. The practice of fostering children with other families so they could learn is of very long standing, with records going back thousands of years. The school that can probably claim to be the oldest boarding school in continual operation is Winchester College founded by Bishop William of Wykeham in 1382. Enjoy and I promise that my next chapter won't be so long in coming! AZ


	12. The Drinking

"So," Seth says, greeting Ryan as he joins his foster brother at the counter, "last breakfast of the year."

"Yep."

"Any resolutions you've got for the New Year?"

Ryan thinks for a moment. "I've decided I'm going to change from Maxwell House to Folgers for breakfast." He takes a sip from his mug for emphasis.

"That's it? No, 'I'll quit sleeping with my girlfriend where my parents can catch me,' or 'I'm going to try and figure out why my aunt suddenly disappeared?'"

"I'm…going to start…taking a multi-vitamin?"

Seth just shakes his head in response. "So, what _did_ happen to Lindsey? I mean, she was here one moment, then gone the next. All The Kirsten said was that she was with your grandpa, but that she wouldn't be back for a while. What the hell does that mean?"

Ryan shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know. Mom didn't tell me any more than she told you. It bothers me, though. It's like she just disappeared off the face of the map. I tried calling her and the automated message says that her number has been disconnected. Grandpa has been stonewalling me. I'm really not sure what else to do."

"What about your other aunt? Do you think Hailey would know anything?"

"Who knows? Hailey has been acting kind of weird ever since Thanksgiving when she went after Jimmy Cooper. Ever since that, she hasn't really been around here."

"Yeah, I think she's a little scared of your girlfriend's mom. _I'm_ a little scared of your girlfriend's mom. You'd be stupid not to be, but I think Hailey is scared of bodily harm being inflicted. Either that, or she's banging Jimmy Cooper."

Ryan chokes on his coffee and glares at Seth. "Unnecessary."

"Sorry. What do you think Veronica would do if she found out that was happening?"

"If she found out what was happening," Kirsten asks as she walks into the kitchen. She stops to grab a mug and fill it with coffee. She sees the red tub filled with Folgers next to the coffee machine and turns to her son. "Folgers? I thought you drank Maxwell House?"

"New Year's resolution," Ryan answers and tips his mug at her.

Kirsten shakes her head at her son and smiles. "So what would my friend do if she found out what," she asks her other son.

Seth looks at Ryan, who shakes his head, then back at Kirsten. "Oh, just what she would do if she found out Ryan was having sex with Taylor in _her_ bed. I think that she'd probably be pretty upset with it. What do you think, Ryan?"

Ryan is a peculiar shade of purple, his coffee mug frozen halfway to his mouth. He starts to stutter. "Um…well…you know, I…"

"Ryan Cohen! You are _not_ having sex with Taylor in Veronica's bed are you?"

Ryan opens his mouth to answer but pauses, instead seeming to think better of it, and lifts his mug to his mouth to take a drink of coffee.

"You know what? I don't want to know." Kirsten takes a large drink of her coffee as well. "This may come back to bite me in the butt for asking this, but what do you boys have planned for tonight?"

Ryan looks at Seth, who just looks back at him with a blank look on his face. Ryan turns back to his mom and shrugs. "I'm sure we'll be doing something with our girls, but we don't have any definitive plans yet."

"Well, you both know the usual rules apply: No drinking, no drugs, no…" she looks at Ryan over the rim of her coffee mug, "other stuff, or just don't tell me about it. Your father and I will be going to The Arches, just like every year." She turns as Sandy walks in. "Isn't that right, sweetie?"

"You'd better believe it. I talked to them last night and they have a table for six reserved for you, me, Julie and Neil, and Jimmy and Veronica." He, too, grabs a mug for coffee and notices the red tub of coffee sitting by the pot. "Folgers? I thought you-"

Ryan opens his mouth to say something, but Seth interrupts him. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. New Year's resolution."

"Aww, it's okay sweetie." Kirsten walks over and puts her arm around her son as Sandy smiles. "We know changing your coffee is a big thing for you. What else do you have?"

Seth smiles. "Well there was this other thing. See, Ryan was going to stop-"

"-screwing around," Ryan says, cutting Seth off, "and take a multivitamin. You know, gotta get healthy."

"Well, that's…" Kirsten trails off and looks at her husband for help.

"Healthy?" Sandy looks confused. "Anything else, kiddo?"

"I think that's gonna be good for me. Seth?" Ryan looks at Seth, who is biting into a bagel. After a pause for swallowing, Seth answers.

"I'm only making one New Year's resolution. I'm resolving to stop retching when I clean the toilets at The Bait Shop." Seth takes another bite of bagel.

"Wow, you two are well on your way to making a change for the better in your lives," Sandy says, snorting. "Nothing like a change in coffee and eliminating vomit noises to get the year started off right."

"Well, Mr. Perfect, what are your resolutions this year? Do you have one you'd like to share with us?" Kirsten takes the bagel from her husband and takes a bite before she gives it back to them.

"I'm resolving to…" he says, pausing as he opens an envelope addressed to him, "…screw your father," he finishes, softly whistling.

"EXCUSE ME," Kirsten asks, a shocked look on her face.

"I'm sorry honey, I just got surprised with what was in this envelope. Apparently, your father commissioned a survey of the Balboa Heights and neglected to get a copy to our office. Why we didn't have a survey of our own done, I have no idea, but that doesn't matter. The Heights are worthless."

"What do you mean, Dad," Ryan asks. "I thought you said Grandpa wanted a ton of money to sell the Heights to you so he wouldn't build there?"

"They're seismologically unsound. Nobody will ever get a permit to build there." Sandy turns to his wife. "Did you know about this?"

"No, of course not," she replies. "I stopped working with Dad on that project long ago." She picks the envelope up in her hand. "I wonder who sent this to you. If you didn't have a survey of your own commissioned, this has to be Dad's. But he would keep something this important very hush-hush."

"Who cares where it came from," Sandy declares. "This little paper means that I've actually beaten your father at something. Now the Land Trust will get the Heights for pennies on the dollar and they'll be able to keep it as a protected area. What a way to end the year!"

_Therapist's Office_

Marissa opens the door of her therapist's office and steps out, a smile on her face. She has just had a very good talk with Dr. Wallerstein, with whom she had discussed her holiday with her family. She told her about Lindsey leaving and how that made her feel. They also talked about her relationship with her mother and father and how their relationships were affecting her. She told her that she was actually glad to see that they had stayed friendly with each other and not separated with the anger that so many parents have. All in all, she was excited about her prospects for the New Year. That is, until her gaze drifted across the room's only other occupant: Oliver Trask.

"Oliver," Marissa droned, "what a surprise to see you here."

"Hey Marissa! What are you up to? You have a good Christmas?" Oliver scooted over and patted the seat on the couch next to him. As it was, Marissa still had to wait for Luke to pick her up, so she sat down. Not on the couch occupied by Oliver, but at another, across the floor.

"Pretty good. You know, food and presents and relatives. You?"

Oliver shrugs his shoulders. "Eh. My folks are in Switzerland, checking on one of their hotels. I celebrated Christmas in my penthouse, by myself. Although, my parents did leave my gifts, which included that baby out there." He points out the window at a brand new, black BMW.

Marissa nods. "Nice. Your parents must really love you. It sucks that they were gone though."

Oliver shrugs again. "I guess." He nods his head in the direction of the door Marissa just exited from. "So what did the doc have to say about your New Year's resolutions? You gonna quit lying, smoking, speeding, anything?"

Marissa feels a little pity for the boy, as he spent the holidays on his own, so she decides to humor him while she waits for Luke. "Oh, I don't know. Just the usual, I guess. Try and reduce my stress, maybe start eating a little healthier, add in some vegetables. Nothing special."

"Sounds good. No grains or fruits?"

"Nope, I actually feel pretty good about the grains," she says, smiling.

"So, tonight, New Year's Eve, you're Social Chair, I'm sure you've got some event all planned out involving Ferris wheels and cotton candy?"

"Nope, I already did all that. I'm taking it easy tonight." She doesn't like where this conversation is heading so she sneaks a peek out the window, looking for Luke's truck. No luck.

"We can't have that, now. Allow me to cordially invite you to my party at my penthouse in The Four Seasons." Oliver hands her an invitation that Marissa sees he has been hiding in his jacket pocket.

"Oh, well, Oliver. You see…I really can't. I, uh, have this…thing…" Marissa trails off, looking away.

"Please? It would be nice to have a real friend there. My parents invited a bunch of their friend's kids, thinking it would help me make friends. I don't really care for any of them." Marissa looks back at the boy and sees the most pathetic look on his face. Internally, she slaps herself for being such a pushover.

"Can I bring some friends of mine," she says, resignedly. "We were supposed to hang out together tonight, so I don't want to leave them high and dry."

Oliver perks up immediately. "Of course, of course! Bring your friends; we'll have a great time. See you tonight!"

Marissa looks outside and sees that Luke's truck has just pulled up. "Okay Oliver. Luke's here so I've got to go. I'll see you at your place." She stands to leave and walks out of the office, leaving behind a very happy Oliver Trask.

_Jimmy's apartment_

Jimmy carefully adds some pepper to the sauce he has cooking on the stovetop and takes a small taste. Satisfied with the flavor of the marinara sauce, he lowers the temperature to keep the sauce simmering in anticipation of Veronica's arrival and heads back to the couch. It's New Year's Eve, and his beloved University of Southern California Trojans are playing in a bowl game later. Ever since he found out that Veronica was a USC grad just like him, they had made a point to get together and watch the game on Saturdays. They had even made it up to see a couple games in person. He sees that early game is still on and sits down just in time to hear the doorbell ring.

"You're a little early, V," he calls as he heads to the door. "I haven't even boiled the noodles yet and the Trojans game hasn't started either." He opens the door and doesn't see his girlfriend's brunette hair but a curtain of red. "Hailey," he says, "what a surprise. Can I help you with something?"

"Hey neighbor," Hailey says, and scoots past Jimmy and into his apartment. She sniffs in the direction of the pot of sauce. "Whatcha cookin'?"

"Spaghetti. Veronica and I are going to have some lunch while we watch the USC game." He looks down at his wrist. "Speaking of, she's going to be here in a bit and she's probably going to be pretty upset if you are here when she arrives. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Actually," she takes a small taste of the marinara sauce, "I was wondering what you were doing tonight? New Year's Eve, big party, fresh start." Hailey walks over to Jimmy. "What do you say, Jimmy? Want to ring in the New Year with me?" She starts to run her hand up and down his chest.

Jimmy grabs her hand and removes it from his chest. "Oh, geez Hale, I'd love to but, uh, we've got dinner with your sister and Sandy and Julie and Neil at The Arches tonight."

Hailey steps back and pulls her hand away from him. "Oh, I get it. So you guys are boring now that you're all old. So you're gonna go eat, then be back at the house for the ball dropping, in bed by 12:30? Can't be up too late."

"It's not like that, Hailey. Sandy and Kirsten do it every year and this year, they invited us along. We think we might like to make it a tradition."

"Well, that sounds like a total drag. I was going to suggest that you guys go to this party where you might have a good time, but it's okay. I get it. You don't do fun anymore. You guys are all old and boring now."

"I am not boring, Hailey. I'm not even that old. I haven't hit 40 yet. My hair hasn't started falling out. It's not graying. And Veronica and I still have fun. We still go out…occasionally." The hesitation in Jimmy's last comment is evident, as if even he isn't sure of that fact.

"Alright, Jimmy. No need to get defensive. If you change your mind," she waves a piece of paper in front of his face, "I've got the address right here. And if you decide to ditch the group altogether," Haley moves closer and her voice becomes a husky whisper, "I'll be having a _private_ party for two in my apartment."

Jimmy swallows nervously. "Th-thanks, Hale. I'll keep that in mind. The address, I mean!"

Hailey smiles at his stammering and, making sure that Jimmy can see, tucks the paper with the address of the party on it into her cleavage. "Bye, Jimmy. Enjoy your noodles." She walks out of the apartment.

Jimmy falls back down on his sofa and takes a deep breath. Sensing that Veronica's arrival is imminent, he gets back up to start the noodles, Hailey's comments about his age still weighing heavily on his mind.

_Cohen Household, Pool house, Later_

"Wait, so we're gonna do _what_ for New Year's Eve?" Luke shakes his head in confusion.

"Babe," Marissa says, "I thought I explained it to you. We're going to a party at The Four Seasons penthouse. Apparently, Oliver's family is really rich and they own the hotel."

"Is this the same Oliver that you said was stalking you," Seth asks.

"Yeah, but I think he just needed a friend. The poor kid spent Christmas all by himself."

Seth nods his head. "Ah, yes. I feel for him. Not only did he have to spend the holidays on his own, but he also had to spend them without the magic of Chrismukkah to grace his days. It sounds like a terrible holiday."

"Don't you think it's a little early to be calling your holiday 'magical'," Summer asks. "I mean, nothing magical really happened, unless you count Lindsey disappearing."

Seth wiggles his fingers at her, as if casting a spell. "Oh, it was magic, milady. _Dark_ magic." He starts to tickle her and she begins to laugh and wiggle around.

"She didn't disappear," Taylor points out from Ryan's lap, "Ryan's grandpa just sent her away to boarding school. Which was a totally terrible thing to do, if you ask me."

"He did what," Ryan asks, startled. "My mom never said anything about that!"

Taylor sits up, off of Ryan's lap. "I just overheard Kirsten talking about it a second ago. I guess Lindsey called to let her know that she's settled in and everything. I'm sure she was going to tell you."

Ryan and Taylor continue to discuss Lindsey's disappearance, while Seth takes the opportunity to mutilate Ryan's ninja. Nobody notices as Luke scoots away from the bed, where the other four are laying, and closer to Marissa

"Hey," he says softly, "you sure you're okay with this? I mean, we don't have to go if you don't want to."

"No, I think it will be okay. Plus, I already told him I was coming. I don't want to just not show up. That would hurt his feelings."

"I thought this guy bothered you, Riss. I thought you were scared of him, that he was going to do something creepy when he was stalking you?"

"He still creeps me out a little, but I _do_ feel a little sorry for him. Besides, I'll have you, Ryan, and Seth there. What could go wrong?" Luke stares at her. "Right. You and Ryan. As long as you two are there, I'll be okay."

_Elsewhere in the house_

Sandy finally digs the ringing phone out of a pile of papers on his desk. He'd finally gotten in touch with Rachel and faxed over the survey an hour ago. She was going to formally notify Caleb's attorney on Monday and then they'd be home free. "Hello?"

_Hey Sandy. It's Jimmy._

"Jimbo! What's going on? You ready for dinner tonight?"

_We sure are. What are we planning on doing afterward?_

"Not much Jimmy. We're probably going to come back home to watch the ball drop and then we're off to bed, probably by 12:15, 12:30 at the latest." Sandy is met with silence on the other end. "Jimmy? You still there?"

_Sandy, are we getting old?_

"Huh?"

_Seriously, are we getting old?_

"Hell no! I'm not even 40 yet. Why?"

_I don't know. I just feel like we're stuck in a…rut. Like we're getting boring. Or predictable._

"I don't know Jimmy. I like predictable. Predictable means I know what my day is going to be like. No surprises. Now, boring? No way. We're all kinds of fun. Didn't we go golfing the other week?"

_Sandy, we go golfing every weekend._

"Yeah, well that's kind of fun, isn't it?"

_I guess. Why don't we take a chance tonight, do something really fun?_

"What do you have in mind, Jimmy?"

_Later, Jimmy's apartment_

"Well, let's do it then Neil. Alright I'll see you there. Bye." Jimmy hangs up his cell and knocks on the door of the apartment. It is soon opened and Hailey Nichol greets him.

"Hey Jimmy. Are you having second thoughts about tonight?"

"Uhm, I was actually wondering if you still had that address? The one for the party," Jimmy asks hopefully.

"Not quite the change in plans I was hoping for, Jimmy," she says, reaching into her cleavage. She reproduces the note and hands it to Jimmy. "Have fun tonight," Hailey teases and softly shuts the door.

Jimmy slips the note into his pocket and walks back toward his apartment.

_Later, Cohen Household_

Ryan ties his tie, straightening it as he looks at himself in the mirror. Smiling, he turns and grabs his jacket from the hanger. His mother walks in just as he puts his arms through the sleeves. She walks up behind him and smoothes out some invisible wrinkles on his jacket.

"Hey, sweetie," Kirsten says as she fixes his collar for him. "You look so handsome. You're growing up so fast these days, it seems like just the other day that we brought you home from the hospital."

Ryan says nothing, but grins at his mother's reflection.

"You guys have fun tonight and be safe, okay? Remember what I said about not drinking, keep your cell phone on all night, and be home by two at the latest." She kisses him on the back of the head and walks in the direction of his door, only to be stopped when her son calls out to her.

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yes?"

"How long were you going to wait to tell me that Lindsey was in boarding school?"

Kirsten sighs and retreats back to Ryan's bed. Sitting down, she motions for her son to do the same. "Forever, if I could have. It's not that I didn't want you to find out, it's just that I wasn't sure how to tell you that your aunt is paying the price for my stupidity and your grandfather's selfishness."

"Well, is she going to be back?"

"I don't know, Ryan. Maybe for the summer, maybe not until she graduates. It depends on your grandfather. I'll give you her number so that you can call and talk to her." They both turn as they hear Seth call for Ryan from downstairs. Kirsten smiles. "Now you'd better get going." She hands Ryan a set of keys. "Here are the keys to the Rover so that you can all ride together."

"Actually, Luke and Marissa are going to meet us there, but thanks." He pockets the keys and stands up. "Have fun tonight at dinner and Happy New Year," Ryan says, kissing his mother on the cheek.

"You too. And be safe!"

_The Penthouse_

"Marissa! I'm so glad you could make it!" Oliver walks up and hugs Marissa, who awkwardly returns the hug. "So this must be the guy I keep hearing so much about. Luke, right?" Oliver turns to Luke and shakes his hand.

"That's right." Luke gives the other boy an extra hard squeeze on his hand and smiles inwardly as Oliver winces in pain.

Marissa catches this and shakes her head sharply at Luke, a warning for him not to try and intimidate the boy. "These are my other friends I was telling you about," she says, pointing to each of her friends as she introduces them. "This is Summer and Seth and Ryan and Taylor." The four nod at Oliver as he waves at the group. She looks around at the large gathering in the penthouse. "There's a ton of people here, Oliver. It looks like you had a pretty good turnout."

Oliver shrugs. "I don't know any of them. These are the kids of my parents' friends, the ones my folks invited so that I wouldn't have to spend New Year's Eve by myself. Looks like I don't have to worry about that now. So," he says, rubbing his palms together, "is anybody ready for a drink?"

Everyone looks to Ryan, who is inspecting the penthouse. He looks at the group when he gradually realizes that everyone is staring at him. "Why is everyone looking at me? I don't care if you drink."

"Thanks, sweetie," Taylor says and kisses him. Whispering in his ear, she continues, "I'll watch out for her. Maybe you can reward me for a job well done later?" She pinches his butt and walks away, following Summer, Marissa, Luke and Oliver to the bar.

"You know," Seth says, turning to Ryan as everyone walks away, "I can drive if you want me to. You don't have to be the designated driver."

Ryan smiles and claps his brother on the back. "Thanks man, but I'm good. I don't drink a whole lot. I don't like losing control of myself like that."

"Alright. Have some fun tonight. Loosen up a little. There aren't any parents around, maybe you and Taylor can find somewhere new to get freaky at? Have you ever done it fifty stories up before?"

"Seth," a feminine voice yells from the bar.

"Aww, that's a shame. I was really looking forward to discussing my sex life with you," Ryan says, rolling his eyes. "Go enjoy the night. I'll be around." Seth throws him a wave as he answers the call of his girlfriend and walks towards the bar.

_The Arches_

"Sandy, I really have to thank you for inviting Julie and I to join in on your New Year's Eve celebration," Neil says as he places his napkin on his empty plate. "I hope that we might be able to continue this tradition in the coming years." He smiles at the redheaded woman seated next to him as he says this, and then takes her hand in his.

"James and I enjoyed joining you as well, Sandy. This little tradition definitely sounds like something all of us could enjoy getting together and celebrating every year." Veronica takes another sip from her wine glass and kisses Jimmy on the cheek.

"Who says we can't do this more often than once a year," Kirsten asks. "I think all of us should get together for dinner at least once every couple of weeks. I'm sure we would all enjoy a night with just us adults, just as much as the kids would enjoy a night without us around." The other five chuckle knowingly, and nod their assent to Kirsten's idea.

"So are we about ready to get out of here? I'm looking forward to getting home and changing into something comfortable and watching Dick Clark and the ball drop. Eww." Julie covers her mouth for a moment. "I'm sorry, those two things do _not_ belong in the same sentence. They gave me a nasty little picture in my head." She shakes her head, apparently trying to get the offensive scene out of her mind.

"Actually Jules," Jimmy says, tentatively, "Sandy, Neil, and I talked earlier and we thought we might extend the night a little bit. I heard about a party that sounded like a good time and we thought it would be fun to, I don't know, check it out. What do you think?"

Veronica looks at Kirsten, who looks at Julie, who looks back at Veronica. She decides to take charge. "You want to go to a party?"

"Well, I think it would be fun," Sandy offers, trying to help out his friend.

Veronica gives him a look, daring him to speak again and incur her wrath. He doesn't, and she continues. "Why would you want to go to a party? I thought we were going back to my house to watch the ball drop and then we were…well, we were going to…you know…" She trails off, and looks at Jimmy with expectation in her eyes.

Jimmy, as well as the other adults, quickly catches on and his eyes open wide. "Oh, well, we can still do…that afterwards. I just want to do something different. I don't think any of us have gone to a _real_ party since…well, probably since our kids were born." He looks around and can see the female members of their group considering the thought. "It won't be like we won't know anybody there. It's in Newport and, between the six of us, we know almost everybody in this city. Come on, V," he says, taking her hands, "let's do something exciting again."

"Okay, James. Let's do something crazy."

_The Penthouse_

Luke grabs the glass off of the counter and, being careful not to spill it, carries it to his girlfriend who is currently talking to their host for the evening, Oliver Trask. "Here you go, babe," he says, and hands her the vodka-heavy drink.

She takes a sip and smiles approvingly at her boyfriend. "Thanks. So Oliver and I were just talking about his place up in Palm Springs. Apparently, he's got a place right next to the golf course."

"And I was just trying to convince Marissa that all of you guys should come out and chill for a weekend. The girls could get some time in at the spa and us guys could get out and hit the links. What do you think, man," Oliver asks Luke.

"We'll see bro. Marissa, can I talk to you for a second?" Luke gestures to a spot a few feet away from Oliver.

"Sure, babe. I'll be back in a minute," she says to Oliver.

"No problem. Actually," he says, taking Marissa's glass, "I'll just touch this drink up for you. Vodka and tonic, right?"

Marissa nods her head at Oliver's question and follows her boyfriend off to the side. "So what's up," she asks when they are out of earshot of Oliver.

"Nothin'. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. You've been spending almost the entire time here with Oliver. Is he being creepy or anything?"

"No, everything's okay. He's actually being really nice. You know, I think I might have been wrong about him. Maybe he just was always around me because he needed somebody to talk to. A friend, I guess."

"So everything's good," Luke asks, not entirely convinced that Oliver is as harmless as he has led Marissa to believe.

"Everything's fine, I promise. You can hang out with us and talk to him if you want, so you'll know that he's harmless."

"No, it's okay. You guys do your thing. I'm going to go see who Corona and Summer are talking to." He points towards Seth and Summer who are talking to an unfamiliar blonde.

"Have fun," Marissa says, and kisses him on the cheek.

Luke walks towards Summer and Seth, who are laughing and talking with the mystery girl. "Yo, Corona. What's goin' on?"

"Luke, what's up man?" Seth tries to high five him, but misses badly. "Sorry man, I'm a little buzzed. Oh, so you totally have to meet my new friend. She's totally cool!" He turns and motions towards the pixie-haired blonde. "Luke, this is-"

"I think I can introduce myself, Seth," the girl says, an impish grin on her face. "I'm Anna Stern."

Oliver looks over to see that Luke has gone back to talking with his friends and finishes his preparations with Marissa's drink. Crushing the ecstasy pill, he pours the powder into the mostly-tonic drink and mixes it thoroughly. Can't have my date getting _too_ plastered, he thinks to himself, as he plasters a smile on his face and carries the drink back to Marissa. "Okay," he says, handing her the glass, "here's your drink. You let me know if you start running out. I can't have any of my guests running around with an empty glass."

_The Party_

"Well, who wants to do the honors," Jimmy asks, smiling. Nobody moves forward. "I guess I'll have the pleasure, then." He knocks on the door and waits for someone to come and let them in. The door is soon opened and a familiar face greets them.

"Kirsten, Julie, Veronica," Taryn Baker exclaims. "Oh my God, I can't believe you guys are here. I had no idea you were all so much…fun."

"Yeah, uh, hi Taryn," Kirsten stammers. "You know our other halves, Sandy, Neil, and Jimmy." She points to the three men, who wave at Taryn as she welcomes them into her home.

"Well if I don't now, I might at midnight." Taryn laughs and winks at the three men. Go ahead, gentlemen. Put your watches in the bowl." Sandy, Neil, and Jimmy slowly take off their watches, giving their significant others confused looks. As they drop the three timepieces into the bowl, Taryn leans toward the three women. "Whichever women end up with those three are going to be extremely lucky," she whispers. "Maybe you six will even end up swapping partners!" The men look up at this comment and Taryn walks away with the bowl of watches.

"Did I just hear her say 'swapping'," Sandy asks.

Julie covers her mouth. "Oh my God."

"What kind of party did you bring us to, Jimmy," Kirsten hisses. "I think all of these people are swingers!"

"I think it best if we go now. We might still be able to make it back home in time to see the ball drop," Neil says. "Let me just get my watch and we'll leave."

"Hold on, Neil," Sandy says, causing the older man to turn, "I'm coming with you. We'll go together. Come on Jimmy." He motions to the youngest of the three and, when he doesn't follow, looks back at him. "What's the problem?"

"I think, uh, Veronica and I are going to stay," he stutters, rubbing his forehead.

"Jimmy," Julie scolds, while Kirsten simultaneously admonishes Veronica.

"What, Kiki? Jimmy isn't forcing me to do it. I think it would be fun and something different. We both agree that we've been a little, well, boring lately and we need something to spice it up a little. This could be the perfect opportunity."

"We're not going to hurt each other's feelings, Jules," Jimmy says. "We're both adults, and we know what we're doing."

"I'm not your wife anymore, Jimmy, so I'm not going to tell you what to do. Just _don't_ do anything stupid."

"And make sure you use…protection," Kirsten says, looking like the word gave her a bad taste in her mouth.

"Thanks for the advice, Mom," Veronica jokes. "We'll be fine. Go home and have a lovely evening. Jimmy and I will be fine here."

The six say their good-byes, Sandy and Neil retrieve their watches (giving Jimmy a wink as they leave), and Jimmy and Veronica enter the living room, intent on getting to know their prospective partners for the evening.

_The Penthouse_

"You've got to be kidding me? I've been hooked on comics since Corona started drawing me in them! I can't believe that you read comic books."

"What is that supposed to mean," Anna asks, interrupting him. "And I call them graphic novels. In fact, if more people did maybe the form wouldn't be so marginalized." She takes a drink of her Dr. Pepper.

Luke shakes his head. "I don't think I've ever met someone as opinionated as you before. So what are your plans for the New Year? Got anything big planned in Pittsburg?"

"Actually, I'm moving out here this year. Or, I already have. My New Year's resolution this year is to make some friends at my new school. It's called Harbor. Have you ever heard of it?"

"Of course I've heard of it! That's the school I go to. It looks like your resolution is going to come true." He smiles at Anna, who returns his with one of her own. They are interrupted by Ryan, who claps the taller boy on the shoulder. "Hey man, what's goin' on?"

"Not much. I think we're going to head out. Taylor and Seth decided to have a drinking contest. Neither won. They're passed out, so Summer and I are going to take them home to sleep it off. Are you and Marissa going to be okay?"

"I guess we'll be good, although I haven't seen her for a bit. Maybe I should go check up on her." He starts looking around the room for signs of his girlfriend, but doesn't see her. "Happy New Year, bro." He points to Seth, who has his arm around Summer's shoulder, and Taylor, whose arm is similarly slung around Ryan. "Take care of those two."

"Will do. Nice meeting you, Anna," Ryan calls to the short blonde.

"Same to you, Ryan."

"I don't want any Anna-biotics," Luke hears Taylor mumble as Ryan leads her away. "They taste bad and they'll make my birth control un-_hic_-ineffective." Ryan shakes his head and drags his girlfriend out of the penthouse.

"So I really should go find my girlfriend," Luke says awkwardly, and rubs his head. "I haven't seen her around for a bit."

"That's okay, why don't I help," Anna offers. "Truthfully, you're the only person I've really enjoyed talking to tonight so I don't want to try and talk to any of these people again."

"Sounds like a plan."

_Master Bedroom_

Oliver quickly loses his shirt as Marissa continues to make out with him. He couldn't believe that all it took to get this sex machine out of her shell was one hit of Ecstasy, and a couple drinks. He knew that she'd be raring to go after that pill and, after using the excuse of a 'tour' of his room, she hadn't so much as fought when he started furiously kissing her. As he tossed his shirt and began to work on hers, she stopped kissing him and began to rub her head.

"Wait, Oliver," Marissa moaned. "I can't do this. Luke is right out there. What if he found out?"

"Yeah, he _is_ right out there. Talking to some cute, little blonde girl. Do you think he cares about you? He just wants to get in that other girl's pants. Here," he says, holding out his drink, "why don't you have a drink? It'll make you feel a lot better." It was a good thing he had spiked _his_ drink in anticipation of this second-guessing. A couple minutes and she'd be his all over again.

Marissa takes the offered drink and takes a very large gulp. "You don't think he cares about me," she asks the dark haired boy.

Oliver smiles inwardly. She's mine, he thinks. "No, I don't. I think he just uses you for sex and that's it."

"But he said he loves me," she quietly wails.

"Sometimes guys lie about that stuff, just to get into girls' pants." Oliver begins to softly touch her face as he says this and Marissa starts to moan a little. "Now, let's not worry about that. There's so many better things we can do in here, away from cheating boyfriends." He has managed to work Marissa's blouse off while he said that and, seeing that she has gone without a bra tonight, he sticks his tongue out and delicately licks Marissa's left nipple, causing her to moan in pleasure.

At that exact moment, Luke and Anna open the door to Oliver's bedroom and see the boy, his mouth clamped around an unidentifiable girl's nipple. "Oh, shit, Oliver," Luke says, caught by surprise, " I didn't mean to interrupt…" He trails off as the light catches the face of the girl whose body was being licked by their host for the evening: his girlfriend. "Marissa? What the fuck?!"

"Luke," she asks, looking dazed. Her eyes focus and she sees the blonde with him. "Oh, you're done screwing around with her, so now you come to find me?"

"Screwing around," Anna asks. "I was just talking to him! That's it. We came to look for you, since Luke was worried."

"Well, maybe he should've talked to me, his _girlfriend_, more than some stupid hussy that he's known for all of five minutes!"

"It was more like an hour, Marissa, and that doesn't mean that it's fucking okay to go and get freaky with some nutcase you met in therapy! What the fuck! We're so fucking done!" He storms out of the penthouse.

"You're pathetic, you know that," Anna spits out. "All he did the entire time we talked was tell me how much he cared for you, but you had to ruin that, didn't you?" She follows Luke out of the penthouse, leaving behind a very high Marissa and an overjoyed Oliver.

_Outside_

"Wait," Anna yells to Luke, as she chases him out of the hotel. "Stop walking so fast! I have long heels, short legs and an even shorter skirt. I can't run very fast."

"Look, Anna," Luke says, turning to face the much shorter blonde, "I had a good time talking to you tonight, but I'm not really in the mood to hang around here, if you get my drift."

Anna nods. "I completely understand. But," she says, cocking her head and hearing the tune of 'Auld Lang Syne' starting up, "it's the New Year. They say that the way you start the New Year is indicative of the way you're going to spend the rest of the year."

"Great. So now I'm going to have my girlfriend cheat on me for the rest of the year, and I'll be pissed the entire time. Sounds like an awesome year to me. Maybe I'll move to Portland."

"I've got a better idea," Anna says and, standing on her tiptoes, takes the boy's head in her hands and kisses him full on the lips. Breaking the kiss after a few seconds, she gives Luke a second to recover. "Have a Happy New Year, Luke. I'll see you at school." She gives him a smile and strides back to the elevator.

Despite all that had happened to him in the past five minutes, Luke still couldn't keep the grin from forming on his face as he watched the elevator doors close on the little, blond spitfire. He lifted his hand in a daze, waving goodbye even as the elevator had begun its ascent back to the penthouse suite.

* * *

Well, I know it's been awhile, but I've been struggling to finish this story for about three or four weeks. I've had most of it written, except for the party scene since a few days after I put out the last chapter. I guess I just wanted to make sure I did the party right. This is the beginning of a lot of things, good and bad, for our Super Six. After all, the way you start the New Year is the way you're going to spend the rest of it. Random fact of the chapter: The ball that is dropped at Times Square in New York City every New Year's Eve is a 1,070 pound, six foot diameter ball, made from Waterford crystal. It starts its descent at 23:59:00 (11:59 pm) and reaches the bottom at exactly 00:00:00 (midnight). Enjoy the chapter and please read and review. Thanks! AZ


	13. The Return

Luke Ward pulls his truck into the Cohens' driveway, steps out, and makes his way to the front door. He rings the doorbell and, stepping back on the stoop, waits for the door to be opened. He hears the sound of the handle being turned and sees the face of his best friend's mother, Kirsten Cohen. "Hey, Mrs. Cohen," he says, giving her a small wave.

"Oh, sweetie," she says and pulls the boy into a hug. "I'm so sorry to hear about you and Marissa. Are you okay?" Kirsten releases Luke, steps back and welcomes him into the house.

"I'm okay, I guess. It's just a little hard to deal with, you know? We've been going out since forever, so it just seems…weird that we're not together anymore." He sits down at the island in the kitchen as Kirsten goes back to her coffee.

"I'm sure it does. If Ryan and Taylor ever broke up, I'm sure I'd be having this same conversation with Ryan. Have you talked to her since the break-up?"

"No. I think she's been avoiding me. I went over to her mom's place, to she if she was there. I wanted to talk to her, see why she did what she did, but Mrs. Cooper said that she hadn't seen her. Same with Mr. Cooper."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Are you here to see if Ryan and Seth want a ride to school?" She holds out a glass of orange juice to Luke, which he takes.

"Thanks." He takes a drink from the glass. "Yeah, I thought they might want to ride in together, since this is our first day back and everything." He takes another drink, finishing it up in one gulp.

"Speak of the devils," Kirsten says as her two sons walk in from the pool house. She watches as Ryan walks over and claps his friend on the back.

"Hey man," Ryan says, joining his friend at the island.

"Hey. I thought maybe we could carpool in this morning?" Luke looks hopefully at Ryan.

Ryan sees the question in his friend's eyes and knows that Luke needs to talk about something. "Sure, man. You ready?"

"Wait," Seth says as he sits down, "aren't we going to eat first?" He catches Ryan's glare. "Get it to go. Got it." He grabs the schmeared bagel being offered by Kirsten along with a mug of coffee and follows the other two boys out of the house.

"So, what's up," Ryan asks as they enter Luke's truck. "Worried about today?"

"Kind of," Luke admits. "I mean, Marissa and I dated for what seems like forever. How do I act around her now that we're not seeing each other anymore? We both have the same friends and stuff, so we'll still see each other around. After what she did to me at Oliver's party, I don't know that I ever want to talk to her again," the tall boy says dejectedly.

"I feel for you man." Ryan pats his friend on the shoulder. "I wish I could tell you that I talked to her and she's really sorry for what happened, but I can't. I haven't heard from her since that night. It's pissing me off because, even if you and her were done, you'd think she could come to me, her oldest friend, and talk."

"Maybe she's over at Summer's or Taylor's houses," Seth offers from the backseat, around a mouth of bagel. He takes a sip of coffee and accidentally spills some of it on Luke's backseat. Seeing the driver not paying attention, he discreetly wipes up as much as he can.

"If she was over at Taylor's, I'd probably have heard something by now," Ryan says. "Same goes for Summer's. She would have said something to you. I do have one idea where she is, but you're not going to like it," he directs at Luke.

"Oliver's," the other boy growls. "I hate that kid. If it wasn't for him, Marissa wouldn't have gotten drunk that night and messed around on me."

"We still don't know Marissa was even that drunk. The last I saw of her before Seth and Taylor got too hammered, she looked fine."

"Why else would she have cheated on me? She had to have been drunk!"

"I don't know where this new Marissa came from, but I don't like her. I love her to death, but she hasn't done anything to show that she feels bad for fooling around on you, drunk or not. You know Seth and I are here for you," Seth mumbles something from the back of the truck at this, "and I'm sure the girls understand that you didn't deserve this. Either that, or Seth and I will have words with them."

"We've got your back man," Seth says and, now that his bagel hand is empty and his coffee is finished, puts a supporting hand on Luke's shoulder. "Now tell me about you and Anna getting along at the party."

At the mention of Anna's name, Luke noticeably brightens, an action that Ryan and Seth don't fail to detect. "She's like the female version of you, Corona. I'm sure that you'd have called dibs on her if you weren't with Summer."

"You're probably right, my large friend. However, I only have eyes for my dearest at this point. Continue with your story."

"There's not much else to tell. We talked for about an hour or so, and then the thing with Marissa happened. I left in a big hurry and, she…uh…" Luke begins to stutter at this point.

Seth starts to give him grief. "She what man? She do anything crazy? Maybe jumped your bones in the elevator?" Ryan reaches into the backseat area and tries to smack his brother, but barely misses.

"No, she didn't jump my bones, douche. We might have kissed in the lobby at the stroke of midnight," he says and jumps out of the car right as they pull into the parking lot.

Ryan and Seth share a look at this and quickly follow the other boy out of the truck. Ryan catches up to him first. "Dude! Seriously?"

"Yeah," Luke says glumly.

"Well, why are you so upset about it," Seth asks. "That's awesome!" He holds up his hand for a high five.

Luke just stares at it until Seth puts his hand down. "I feel bad. I mean, Marissa and I had just broken up and now I'm kissing some girl that I've known for all of an hour in the lobby of a hotel?"

"Whoa there," Ryan says, stopping the other boy with a hand to his chest. "You had just caught Marissa cheating on you with someone else and you think that kissing a girl at midnight on New Year's Eve was wrong? It's tradition man, there's nothing wrong with that. Marissa was in the wrong that night, not you. That's cool that you kissed Anna, man," he says, a slight grin on his face. "She's not really like anything you're usually interested in."

"I know. I don't know what it is, either."

"Maybe you'll find out," Seth offers. Luke looks at him curiously. "I mean, she _is_ going to be here today, right?"

"Oh shit."

"Hey, Luke," a very feminine voice yells from the quad.

"Speak of the devil," Seth whispers in Luke's ear. "The very sexy, seductive devil."

Luke pushes him away lightly and turns to face Anna as she approaches. "Hey there!"

She walks up and envelops him in a hug, catching him off guard. "How are you? How was the rest of your break?"

Luke runs his fingers through his hair. "About how you'd expect I guess."

"Yeah, I'd kinda hoped that had worked itself out over the break, but I guess not. So you haven't heard from her?"

Luke just shakes his head as Summer and Taylor walk up.

"Look who we found," Summer says. "We saw Anna in the quad when we got here. We were just sitting around talking when she saw you and we couldn't keep up when she took off."

Luke looks back at Anna when Summer says this and sees a blush spreading across her face. He smiles at her. "I can't really blame her," he says, a smile on his face.

Anna laughs and punches him on the shoulder. "So you want to walk me to my first class?"

Luke shrugs his shoulders. "Sure. What do you have?" The two walk off, leaving their friends in the quad.

"You're Marissa's oldest friend," Taylor says to her boyfriend. "What do you think of this new development?"

"I think Marissa made a bad decision and I hope she snaps out of it." He looks at his watch and scans the crowd. "Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's going to be this morning. It's time for class." He takes Taylor's hand and walks toward the building, followed by Seth and Summer.

_**The Parking Lot**_

"Did you see that? Did you see how quickly they replaced you?"

Marissa looks over at Oliver, tears in her eyes. "I can't believe they don't want to be friends with me any more. So I made a mistake! I didn't mean to!"

"I know, Riss," Oliver says, consolingly. "And you were going to apologize to them. Then what happened? Luke's new girlfriend came up and ruined everything. Now Taylor and Summer have a new friend and you're out in the cold. Didn't I tell you this was going to happen?"

Marissa nods her head.

"Did they even try to contact you over break?"

She shakes her head.

"Well forget about them. What did we learn in therapy, huh? Say it with me now: We are responsible for our own actions. You were going to apologize to them, but they were too busy with their new friend. They didn't make one attempt to apologize to you for how they treated you after the party, did they?"

Marissa shakes her head again.

"Trust me, Riss. I'm your only friend now." He holds out his hand and she places hers in it. "You ready to go to class?" She nods her head and they get out the car.

The past week had gone by in a blur for Oliver. Ever since the night of the party, things with Marissa had been great. She'd gone home for a short amount of time the next day and the resulting backlash from her friends, deserved or not, had caused her to come running back to him, her one true friend. Strange how she had forgotten it was he who had gotten her in trouble with her friends in the first place. All he had to do after that was place a call to her service provider and request that a few specific numbers be blocked from calling her phone, saying that they 'had placed threatening phone calls', and it was all over. Marissa was all his.

This semester was going to be awesome.

_**First Period (Ryan and Taylor)**_

"I can't believe you talked me out of dropping French. You know I can't handle this language. Korean, Latin, Spanish; those I can do. French is just too much for me," Ryan says as he joins Taylor at their assigned table.

"Just think about how much extra time together we'll have," Taylor says, setting her books down and taking her boyfriend's hand.

"What I'm thinking about right now is the Drafting class I could have taken that was being offered in this hour. And how I don't want to have to deal with Mademoiselle Gavalda for another semester."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Taylor says in a dazed voice.

Ryan looks up to see a bearded, scruffy man, his back turned to Ryan, writing on the blackboard. The man finishes writing and turns to face the class.

"Bonjour class," the man says, a heavy French accent present in his speech. Ryan hates him immediately. "I am Monsieur Henri Michel de Momourant and I will be your new French teacher. Most regrettably, your previous teacher, a," he picks up the name plate belonging to their teacher and reads it, "Mademoiselle Gavalda, had a death in the family and had to return to her, and my, native France. Now, we will begin by you all introducing yourselves. I will hear your name and what you did over the break. I will start with myself. Je suis Henri Michel de Momourant. J'ai dépensé la coupure à un château dans Burgundy appartenant à mon vin sirotant de famille et traduisant les poésies antiques." Ryan rolls his eyes as a collective sigh issues from the female constituent of their class. "You there," the man calls, pointing to Ryan's table. "You with the long, pretty hair! What did I just say?"

Taylor chirps as her boyfriend shakes her out her dreamy state. She quickly gathers her wits and answers, "You just said your name and that you spent the break in your family's chateau in Burgundy, translating ancient poetry, which is très romantique!"

"Very good, my little auburn-haired beauty! We shall start with you!"

"Je suis Mademoiselle Taylor Townsend. Je suis allé à une partie pendant la nouvelle année avec mes amis à un hotel," Taylor says as the teacher approaches her and Ryan's table.

"Very good my dear, although why anyone would be spending the break with you at a party instead of in a more romantic setting, is beyond me." He smiles and takes her hand, giving it a small kiss.

Ryan begins to see red and decides it's time to move this introduction period along. "I think it's someone else's turn, don't you," he asks the older man.

"Indeed. Why don't we move along to you, young man?"

"Je suis Monsieur Ryan Cohen et j'étais à un hôtel pour une partie," Ryan says quickly and without much enthusiasm.

"I have to admit, Monsieur Cohen, that was probably the worst French I have ever heard. It may have made my ears bleed to hear that, but I know you tried your best, so you shall get just below average marks. Please, Mademoiselle Townsend, rescue my ears by telling me something interesting about Monsieur Cohen."

Ryan looks over at his girlfriend, a smile on his face, waiting for her to say something impressive. The smile gradually turns into a frown, however, as Taylor seems to be unable to come up with something. "Taylor? Any time you're ready," he prods.

"Ryan est mon ami," she says, after much hesitation.

"That _is_ interesting, mon chéri," Taylor blushes at this phrase and Ryan wills himself to calm down again, "but not interesting enough. You will have to do a little bit better than that to redeem Monsieur Cohen." He waits a few moments more for Taylor to come up with something. "Nothing, Mademoiselle? You're boyfriend must be a most uninteresting person for you not to be able to come up with one thing to say about him. Maybe you are not as alike as you think, no? Moving on! You, at the table behind Mademoiselle Townsend! Continue!"

_**First Period (Luke and Anna)**_

"Welcome to Western Civ," Luke says as he pulls out a chair for Anna at an empty table. "The class won't be the same without Corona here to crack jokes all class long, but he changed his hours to fit with an art class that he wanted." He slides her seat in for her and joins her across the table.

"I'm sure I'll still have a good time. I've got pretty good company," she says to Luke, a smile on her face. "Thanks for helping me to fit in here. It was pretty cool of you and your friends to be so nice to me right away."

"It's not a big deal. I like to think that we're all pretty easy going in our little circle, although there's always room for one more."

"Thanks Luke. So tell me about Mr. Bendis. Is he a pretty cool teacher?"

"He's okay I guess. He's usually an okay guy, although he's kind of a stickler for the rules. Like, check this out," he says pointing to the clock. At the exact moment the clock strikes eight, Mr. Bendis walks through the door of the classroom, shutting it behind him. "Right on time."

"Good morning, class," the teacher begins, only to be interrupted by the door opening again. "Miss Cooper! You're fashionably late. How does a tardy sound?"

"I was escorting a new student around, Mr. Bendis. Can't you make an exception," Marissa asks, moving aside to reveal Oliver Trask. Luke's eyes narrow at the boy. He hears Anna suck in a sharp breath.

"If I make an exception for you, then I have to make an exception for the next person as well. Besides, Mr. Ward over there managed to escort Miss Stern around the campus _and_ get her to class on time." At this, Marissa and Oliver both looked over and noticed Luke and Anna for the first time. The frowns already on the faces of the latter were joined by equally dark glares on the faces of the former.

"Fine," Marissa says, snatching the tardy slip from the teacher's hand and goes to sit down at the one remaining empty table. Oliver goes to follow, but is stopped by Mr. Bendis.

"I believe you'll be taking one as well, Mr. Trask. And," he says, handing the slip to the boy, "why don't you start by introducing yourself to the remainder of the class?"

Oliver introduces himself, stating his name and nothing else, and then moves to rejoin Marissa at the remaining empty seat.

"Miss Stern? You next."

Anna stands. "I'm Anna Stern and I just moved to Newport Beach from Pittsburgh. I enjoy sailing, reading, and hanging out with my friends." A snort comes from the table next to Luke, and he turns to see Marissa covering her mouth with her hand. "My _new_ friends," Anna amends, smiling at Luke from across the table. She re-takes her seat. "That was pretty rude of Marissa."

"I know," he says, glaring at Marissa.

The first half of the class passes uneventfully, Luke making sure that Anna is caught up on what she may have missed the first semester, until Luke feels something hit him in the arm. He looks and sees a rolled up ball of paper laying the desk. Looking up, he sees Mr. Bendis writing something on the blackboard, so he opens it. Inside, written in pink ink with the curly loops he knew belonged to his ex-girlfriend, was written:

_Moved on fast, didn't ya?_

Shaking his head at her immaturity, he takes out his own pen and scribbles this in reply:

_Just friends. Same question, heartless bitch!_

Luke crumples it up and, again making sure that Mr. Bendis is still at the board, tosses it back to her. He watches as she unrolls the ball, reads it, frowns, and then replies by giving him the finger.

"She's just full of charm today, isn't she," Anna asks from across the table.

"Who knows? I don't really want to talk about her anymore," he says, turning back to Anna, a smile on his face. "So how you doing? You catching up on everything?"

_**Lunch**_

"I'm not saying you had to come up with something amazing Taylor, but anything would have been better than you just sitting there!"

"I'm sorry Ryan, but is this really worth dropping the class over," Taylor questions as she joins Seth and Summer at the lunch table.

"I don't really feel like sitting in a class that I hate, watching my girlfriend get hit on by some creepy French dude for five months. That's not my idea of fun."

"I get the feeling that we're missing an integral part of this conversation," Seth whispers in Summer's ear. She nods her acquiescence.

"Fine, drop French. See if I care. You're only punishing yourself with this," Taylor says in a huff, crossing her arms over her chest as she does. She opens her mouth to explain to Seth and Summer what is going on, but is interrupted by Luke's loud voice.

"I just can't believe that she thinks that _I'm _the one to blame for her acting like a stupid ho!"

"Well, you _did_ say she was kind of drunk, right? Maybe she blacked out and Oliver gave her a different series of events than actually occurred?" Anna waves at Summer as she and Luke join the other four at the lunch table.

"I guess that's possible," Luke concedes, "but that doesn't mean she has to be such a bitch about me hanging out with you!"

"Okay, hold it," Summer yells, her hands up in the air. "Obviously, everyone has a story to tell at lunch today, so we'll start with Taylor and Ryan, since they've been waiting the longest." She points at the two and everybody turns to focus.

"Our French teacher left," Ryan states. "We got a new one, but he's this creepy guy that has a crush on Taylor. He spent the entire period calling on her and kissing her hand and calling her _Mademoiselle Townsend_."

"He was not flirting with me, Ryan! He was simply complementing me on my fabulous usage of the French language."

"Whatever. I don't care if he is flirting with you, I just don't want to see it," he says to Taylor, then turns back to the others. "So now I'm dropping French and picking up Drafting."

"Very interesting news, Cohen," Summer says. "Now it's Luke and Anna's turn."

"I think our news is bigger," Anna starts, "but we'll let you guys be the judge. Marissa came in a little late-"

"Which isn't news in and of itself," Luke interrupts, "but it's who she came in with that does it."

"Well, who is it you two," Summer asks. "I need my gossip!"

"She came in with Oliver," Anna tells the others. "She let it slip during class that she's been hanging out with Oliver since the party. She said that she didn't think you guys were very good friends since you haven't tried to talk to her since the party and she blames everything that happened on Luke." She rubs his shoulder consolingly.

"What a biatch! And we _did_ try to call her," Summer yells again.

"Summer and I both tried to call her. That little…" Taylor starts, leaving the insult unfinished.

"I have news," Seth says, raising his hand. Summer raises her eyebrows at him and he continues. "My art teacher told us today that we'd be using nude models this year. So I'm, uh, pretty psyched about that."

"Sweetie," Summer says innocently.

"Yes, my dear?"

"If you so much as _think_ about any woman besides me naked, I'll kick your ass all the way back to when you were still growing your short and curlies. Got it?"

"Got it, Summer dearest."

_**Last Period (Luke)**_

Luke grabs the last book of the day and, thanking God above that the day was almost over, closes his locker. Turning, he doesn't see the girl walking toward him and almost knocks her over. "My bad. I didn't see you-" he says, and notices he ex-girlfriend glaring at him, "there. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, jerk. It's not like I need my personal space or anything." She moves to walk around Luke, only to be stopped as he grabs her arm. "Let me go, Luke."

"Wait Marissa. We need to talk. I want to know what's happened to you in the past week! You're not talking to your friends, you're acting like a bitch, and now Oliver's here?" He lets go of her arm and she backs away, looking down at the ground. "This isn't the Marissa Cooper I know. If you don't want to be with me, fine, but don't do this to your friends."

Marissa turns red at the mention of Taylor and Summer. "Don't talk to me about my friends! Nobody was around to look after me at the party! Where were my friends then," she yells, getting a couple looks from other, nearby students. "Ryan was taking care of his drunk ass girlfriend, Summer was off with her geeky new boyfriend, and you? You were flirting with some chick I didn't even know! Don't talk to me about friends, Luke. Oliver is my friend now. You guys all ditched me for that little nerdy lezbo, Hannah."

"It's _Anna_ and don't talk about her like that," Luke growls. "She's a nice person and didn't do anything for you to be angry with her. You want to be angry with me? Go ahead. You'd better learn to look after yourself, because this new friend of yours? He's not going to be there for you like Ryan, the girls and I were." He looks up as the bell rings.

"Great, I'm late again. Thanks, ass," she turns and walks off. Luke shakes his head as he, too, leaves to catch his next class. Neither teen notices a watching Oliver, who smiles and stalks off down the hallway.

_**Last Period (Ryan)**_

Ryan throws the remainder of his books into his locker and slams the door shut. Luckily, his last class was a study hall so he wouldn't need them. Just as he is about to walk away, a voice stops him.

"Monsieur Cohen!"

Ryan rolls his eyes and turns at the sound of his name, knowing full well, by way of the grating accent, who is calling him. "Yes, Monsieur de Momourant," he asked, trying to make his displeasure for the man seem as obvious as possible. The wiry Frenchman saunters up to Ryan and he has to steel himself to keep from gagging. Apparently, showers are shunned in France, because his teacher reeks of cheese and weakness.

"I have heard that you are dropping my class. Is that true?" The man directs him to a side hallway, where they could talk without background noise from a hundred other teens interrupting them.

"Yeah. Who did you hear that from?" Realization dawns on Ryan. "Did Taylor say something to you?"

"Mademoiselle Townsend may have mentioned it in passing. Regardless, I think that running away from my class, no matter how terrible you are at French, is not the right answer."

"Look, it's not _just_ because I'm bad at speaking French. I'm picking up a class more suited to what I want to study in college."

"That is very good, Ryan. I am happy to hear that your change in course of study is not because of my attraction to your girlfriend. Although, if it was, I do not think that leaving my class is the right answer."

Ryan does a double take. Did he actually just hear his teacher say that he was hitting on his girlfriend? "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"Maybe that is why your pronunciation of my beautiful language is so bad. Your hearing is_ très terrible_! I said that I hoped you were not leaving my class because of my attraction to Mademoiselle Townsend."

So Ryan did hear him right! "You're attracted to my girlfriend? But…that's wrong," he says, confused. Why is a teacher admitting to him that he thinks his girlfriend is attractive? He knows that Taylor is hot, don't get him wrong, but this guy has to be in his mid to late twenties, at least. "Not to mention, illegal!"

"Unfortunately, _mon ami_, you are right. But," he says, holding up a finger, "I will not allow myself to be dissuaded by your country's idiotic laws. I will do my best to romance Mademoiselle Townsend." Henri Michel begins to walk off until Ryan stops him.

"You can't do this. I'll tell Dr. Kim. You'll never get away with it!"

"Monsieur Cohen, I am a Frenchman! We are known for our ability to get out of tough situations. For example, I'm but a foreigner, far from home. How would it be my fault that Taylor is keen on _moi_? You were there today; you saw that class. Aside from you and the other gentleman, all of my students are of the fairer sex. And they are all in love with me. Do you not think that this Dr. Kim would understand that I cannot keep an entire class of students from having romantic feelings for me?"

"This isn't fair," Ryan protests.

"It is very unfortunate, true. But, as they say, '_il y a beaucoup de poissons en mer._' Best of luck to finding yourself a new fish, Monsieur Cohen." He turns back to leave.

Ryan quickly thinks for a second. "Monsieur de Momourant?"

The older man stops again. "Oui?"

"I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"I see the American spirit of competition has made its appearance. Very well, Ryan. I wish you the best of luck, however, I feel that you will not be the winner in this little game."

_**Later, Jimmy Cooper's Apartment**_

"Jesus, I'm coming, I'm coming," Jimmy yells to the incessant banging on his doorway. The knocking doesn't stop, instead intensifying. "What the hell-" he asks, opening the door.

Sandy Cohen rushes in, barely giving Jimmy time to step out of the way. "Coop, take a seat. I need to talk to you."

"Hey Sandy. Nice to see you, too. Don't call me 'Coop' though. That's my daughter's name." He notices Sandy is in an excited state, as he can't stop moving. "Can I get you a glass of water, maybe a Vicodin? You okay?"

"Sorry, Jimmy. I just got out of a settlement conference and I've had WAY too much coffee today. I guess you probably want to know why I'm here, huh?"

"Well, uh, sure. You want to sit down or something," he asks, motioning to his couch.

"No, I'm good. I'll just pace incessantly for a while. So I've got it, you're get back on top scheme. Kirsten and I came up with it last night at dinner. We were eating at the Lighthouse. You remember that place, don't you Jimmy?"

"Of course! I managed it for two summers while I was at USC. I love that place. So what's up? You want me to manage the Lighthouse?" He laughs.

"Almost Jimmy, but not quite. We're going to buy it," Sandy says, with much enthusiasm. He sees that Jimmy doesn't seem to have the same enthusiasm for his idea. "What's wrong, Coop? I figured this would be the perfect idea. This would be the perfect thing to get me out of the office every now and then and nobody's better at managing money that you."

"I don't know Sandy," Jimmy says, and rubs his head. "If I'm so great at handling money, how come I can barely support myself? How am I supposed to be able to be a partner in a restaurant?" He sighs and sits down on the couch. "I've been thinking a lot lately. Maybe my future isn't here in Newport anymore. I can't get a job to save my life and I'm almost out of money. I called my brother in Phoenix and he's got some things I could do down there."

Sandy looks confused. "You can't leave Jimmy! You're one of the only friends I have here. Plus, your kid is here along with Veronica. Have you floated this idea to either one of them yet?"

Jimmy gives a pitiful laugh. "I hardly ever see my daughter anymore. She's always over at Julie's. And Veronica? I don't know what's going on between her and I. Sure we're, uh, dating or whatever, but who knows if this is a long-term thing. I mean, I can't have her supporting me and everything."

"So you're a little low on cash," Sandy says with a shrug. "It happens. You have to still have enough from cashing in your 401k to last you for awhile longer, don't you?"

"Sandy, I've got enough to last myself for two more months. After that, I'm done."

Sandy walks over to his friend and pats him on the back. "Come do this restaurant with me, Jimmy. I need this just as much as you do."

"I don't know, Sandy. I just don't know."

_**The Cooper house**_

Marissa slowly opens the front door to her mother's house, hoping to make it in, grab some clothes and get out before Julie gets a chance to notice her. Her hopes are dashed as her mother's voice screeches out her name.

"Marissa Lynne Cooper! Get in this kitchen right now!"

Marissa follows her mother's voice into the kitchen, where Julie Cooper is currently leaning against the counter, glaring at her only daughter. "Why are you coming into this house, acting all sneaky? And where have you been for the past couple of days? All you'd tell me when I called was that you were over at a friend's house and then I don't see you until this afternoon. Were you planning on coming home anytime soon?"

"Well I'm home now," Marissa says with a shrug and a smile. She tries to walk back out of the kitchen and up to her room but her mother will have none of it.

"I don't think so young lady. Where do you think you're going?"

"I was going to change my clothes and then I was going to hang out with Oliver."

"Oliver?" Julie looks questioningly at her daughter. "Is this the boy you met at therapy, the one that was bothering you?"

Marissa turns red. "Who told you that? Did Luke say something to you?" Julie looks away. "That asshole!"

Julie walks towards her daughter. "Look sweetie, I know things haven't been the greatest since your father and I split, but I'm trying my best. I wish you would just tell me what's going on with you, like why you're spending time with a boy from therapy that was bothering you instead of your boyfriend." She lays a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Just talk to me sweetie."

Marissa shrugs off the hand. "Luke and I aren't dating, _mother_," she says venomously, "and I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to others behind my back." She turns to leave the kitchen.

"Marissa!" Her mother's voice stops her. "I want you back by no later than eight o'clock. Got it?"

Marissa groans in obvious frustration. "Fine," she says, without turning, and continues the trek to her room.

_**A few minutes later**_

Marissa hops back in Oliver's BMW. He can tell that she's upset, as she has a large frown on her face. "Everything okay," he asks. "You were in there an awful long time to just change clothes."

"My mom's being stupid," she mutters. "I have to be back home at eight. Oh, and she knows about you, too. Luke said something to her."

Oliver shakes his head. "That doesn't surprise me."

"It doesn't," she asks, looking confused.

"Of course not. He's trying to keep you from having friends now that you don't want to be his girlfriend. He probably said something about being worried about who you were hanging out with and got your mom concerned as well."

"She was," Marissa exclaims. "It's so stupid. Why can't they just leave me alone?"

"You know, it's not you that's changed. It's them, your _former_ friends. They let you down when you needed them and now they're moving on without you. I will _always_ be here for you," he says, taking her hand. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, Oliver, I do."

* * *

A/N: Okay, well, that took pretty long to get out there. I know I keep saying it's not going to take as long for my next chapter and it doesn't happen, so I'm going to stop putting that. Instead I'll say that I'll make sure that I put out the best as quickly as I can. I do have a definite story in mind for all of our friends in Newport, so don't think that I'm throwing random crap out there. Random fact of the chapter: Burgundy, the area where Henri Michel's family's chapel is, is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland. Burgundy produces wines of the same name. Although "Burgundy" means red, the Burgundy region produces both white wines and red wines. Burgundy wines can be described as varied, complex, human, and earthy. They are highly regarded because of historical tradition, and arguably because they transmit well the flavor of the land. The reputation, quality, and small numbers of production of the top wines mean high demand and high prices: Burgundy wines are among the most expensive wines in the world. Enjoy and please review! I know you Townwood fans are still out there! Let's see some Ryan and Taylor love! Thanks!

AZ


	14. The Trust Issues

A/N: Back again. Just read it, we'll talk again at the end.

* * *

_**Cohen Kitchen**_

Seth walks into the kitchen through the patio doors and sees his brother already occupying a stool at the island. "Morning, man," he says, grabbing a bagel and placing it in the toaster. "You're up awful early for a Sunday. Got some plans with T to the T?"

"'T to the T,'" Ryan asks.

"Sorry. Summer's vernacular can rub off a little. So do you have some early morning plans or something?"

"Not today." Ryan takes another sip of coffee.

"Are you guys still on rocky ground with everything that's going on in French class?"

"We're not on rocky ground, Seth."

"So everything is good with Frenchy Le Pew macking on your girl?" At Ryan's red face and grimace, "I didn't think so. Why don't you go talk to her, ya know, tell her what's bothering you?"

"I have. She just says that I'm exaggerating and that Monsieur de Momourant is just really nice." He aggressively rips his bagel apart, causing Seth to flinch, and stuffs part of it in his mouth.

"Take it easy on the bagel bro. I don't think that _it_ is cheating on you with your French teacher."

Seth takes a full step back this time as Ryan slams down his coffee cup. "She's not cheating on me, Seth."

"Fine, I get it. She's totally loyal and completely committed to your relationship. Even if she is, doesn't it make you a little worried that that weaselly little French dude is interested in your girl?"

Ryan picks back up his coffee. "More than you can imagine."

Seth schmears his bagel. "So take her out today. Go do something fun. Remind her why she's head over heels for her blond surfer boy from California."

"I wish I could but she's hanging out with Anna today. I think they're going down to the mall to check out this new store that opened that specializes in Asian cinema."

"Dude, that place totally rocks. I spent about four or five hours there the other day, just walking around. I think the clerk was about ready to file a restraining order against me for spending so much time there. Maybe he thought I was a shoplifter," he questions. "So what do you think of Anna? She seems pretty cool, right?"

"Yeah, she's cool. Seems more like your type of girl than Luke's, though."

"Maybe. Seems like opposites have a tendency to attract here. Your quiet and reserved demeanor is contrasted by Taylor's talkativeness and outgoing personality. My hyperactivity and overall geekiness is repressed by Summer's flair for pop culture and her dangerous rage control issues. Maybe Luke has found the yin to his yang as well?"

Ryan shrugs. "I hope so. That kid needs someone less self involved than his prior girlfriend."

"I thought you and Marissa were best buds, old friends, the closest of pals?"

"We are. I mean, we were. Hell, we may still be. I don't know. I haven't had a chance to talk to her since before the New Year. That's actually why I'm up so early. I'm gonna go next door and try to fix all of this."

"Why don't you just call her," Seth asks, as if it's the easiest solution in the world.

"I'd love to, only her phone isn't taking calls from me, like the number is blocked or something."

"Weird," Seth adds. "Well, good luck with that. I think Summer is going to be over later. We might be swimming in the pool if you'd care to join us."

Ryan carries his empty coffee cup over to the sink and rinses it out. Seth finishes his cup as well and looks at Ryan expectantly for a moment. Ryan breaks down and rinses Seth's cup out as well. "We'll see. I might go hit up Luke and see if he wants to do some surfing."

Sandy Cohen walks into the kitchen right at that moment. "Surfing? Now that sounds like a good way to spend a Sunday." He claps his son on the shoulder.

"You want to go, Dad?"

Sandy shakes his head. "You know I'd love to kid, but I have to meet Jimmy and go over some things for the Lighthouse. Why don't you take your mother," he asks as his wife walks in.

"Take me where," Kirsten Cohen asks as she too fills up a mug from the coffee pot. Ryan looks from his mother to his father and then back again, a questioning look in his eyes. "What," she asks again. "Take me where?"

"Seth," Sandy questions, ignoring his wife.

"No thanks, Sandman. I'm going to stick to the calmer waters of the pool."

"Somebody tell me where you were going to take me!"

"Well, I'm off to meet Jimmy," Sandy says, rinsing out his mug and placing it in the sink. "Have a good day, sweetie," he says as he kisses his wife on the cheek.

"And I've got to go meet someone," Ryan offers, mirroring his father's actions.

"I'm going to get the pool house ready." Seth, too, leaves the kitchen.

"Boys!"

_**The Cooper Residence**_

Ryan knocks on the door to Julie Cooper's house and stands back on the stoop. The door is soon opened by Julie Cooper.

"Ryan," she says, greeting the younger boy with a hug. "How are you?"

"Good, I guess. Is Marissa here?"

Julie opens the door fully, allowing Ryan access into the house. "Yes, she's up in her room. You know where it is." She moves aside as Ryan walks toward the stairs. "Ryan?"

Ryan stops his ascent and turns back to the older woman. "Yes, Mrs. Cooper?"

"See if you can get through to her, will you? I've tried everything I can, but she won't hear it. I don't think she wants to talk to me."

"I'll see what I can do, Julie." He continues his climb up the stairs and finally comes to Marissa's room. He knocks softly on the door.

"Not now, Mom," a voice yells from inside. "I'm busy studying."

"The Cooper I know surely wouldn't be studying on a Sunday," Ryan says as he walks into Marissa's room. The sight that greets him is not a friendly one: Marissa is on her bed, making out with Oliver Trask.

"God, I SAID I was busy," Marissa says, straightening her top.

Oliver rearranges his clothes as well. "Ryan," he says in greeting, earning a glare from the blonde boy.

"Can I talk to you for a bit," he asks, ignoring Oliver and directing his question at Marissa. "Alone?"

Marissa begins to protest, but Oliver cuts her off. "It's cool, I should go anyway before your mom sees me. I'll see you at school tomorrow?" Marissa nods her head and he pecks her cheek, stares down Ryan, and leaves through the window.

"Thanks for scaring my boyfriend off," Marissa says once Oliver has left.

"So you guys are dating now?"

"Yeah. What do you care," she asks, openly hostile.

"Hey, who you date is your business. I just want to know why you seem to have cut all of your friends out of your life. None of us have heard from you since New Year's."

"My friends," Marissa questions. "My so-called friends were the ones that cut _me_ off! I haven't gotten any phone calls from any of you since that night. And you finally managed to find your way over here. They can't do the same?"

Ryan shakes his head in frustration. Who is this girl and what did she do with his best friend? "Look Cooper, the world doesn't revolve around you. We've all tried to call you but, for some reason or another, our calls won't go through. And you could just as easily have come over to our house or called us. I don't remember you being this selfish, Marissa."

"Yeah, well maybe I've always been like this and you just never knew me?"

"I really hope that's not the case. I miss the Marissa that I've had so many good times with. The one that pushed Zach when we were in the second grade because he was bigger and wanted my lunch. The one that made me hang out with Luke more because she thought he was cute. I miss the Marissa that was someone that Summer and Taylor could depend on to always be there for them. So do they. We _all_ miss that Marissa." Marissa looks away at all of this and doesn't say anything. Ryan shakes his head and stands. "I'm still here for you, if you ever need to talk or anything." He walks out and shuts the door behind him.

"Thanks," Marissa quietly whispers as she wipes a tear from her eye.

_**The Mall**_

"Oh my God, I'm _so_ in love with these movies we picked up at that new store," Taylor gushes. "Who knew that such a cool place would open here in Newport?"

"I know," Anna adds. "I'm liking Newport Beach more and more all the time."

Taylor shifts her bags and gives Anna a sidelong smile. "Does that include any certain male members of its population?"

Anna blushes a little and joins Taylor in grinning. "Maybe it does. Luke is just _**so**_ cute. I don't know what it is. I was never really attracted to the jock type. They just always seemed stupid and thick-headed to me. Luke is different though."

Taylor grins as her new friend stares out into space, thinking about her crush. "Hello? Earth to Anna." She snaps her fingers at Anna and finally succeeds in snapping her out of her daydream. "You okay there?"

Anna laughs. "Sorry about that. I kinda spaced out there a little."

"It's okay. Luke is a pretty cool guy. He's super nice and extremely loyal to his friends. And he's not stupid. He hides it a little, but he's got a brain hidden under that blonde mop. You wanna go in here," she asks her shopping companion and points at a fashionable store. Anna nods her assent and the two girls enter and begin searching the racks.

"So do you think he likes me," Anna asks a few minutes later as she holds up a top, checking the look in the mirror.

"Who, Luke? I'd have to call you crazy if you thought that he didn't. Aren't you guys going out tonight?" Taylor shakes her head at the top Anna has selected and puts it back on the rack.

Anna takes the remaining clothing items she has selected and goes into the dressing room to try them on. "Yeah we are but it's just dinner and a movie. That could mean anything. Maybe he just wants to be friends?"

Taylor continues to comb through the racks as Anna changes. "I doubt it but you'll probably have an answer for sure after tonight. My money is on a kiss goodnight."

Anna pokes her head out from the dressing room. "Do you think so? If he goes for it, what do you think? Tongue or no tongue?" Both girls think for a moment and answer simultaneously.

"No tongue."

"So how are you and Ryan doing," Anna asks as she steps out of the dressing room, modeling her new outfit.

"That looks cute," Taylor offers and Anna goes back into the room. "Me and Ryan? We're fine I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah, well he's not entirely happy with our French teacher at school. He keeps saying that he's a creep and that I should avoid him."

"Yeah, he does kinda give off the creepy foreigner vibe. I see him in the hallways every now and then and it always seems like he's hitting on the girls," Anna says as she throws a disliked top over the door.

"It's not that, he's just... new here and he doesn't know how it works in America. I've been spending my study hall in his classroom, just talking to him. He's really smart. You should hear some of the stories that he has. Did you know that he's had lunch with the Prime Minister of France as his guest. **His** guest. He invited the Prime Minister to lunch and he came. How impressive is that?" Taylor selects another shirt and hands it through the door.

"Pretty impressive, I guess. Maybe all this time that you're spending with Monsieur de Momourant is straining your relationship with Ryan. It seems like he's been on edge lately."

"It's probably everything going on with Marissa," Taylor says, dismissing Anna's concerns. "They're best friends and they haven't talked in a few weeks because of this Oliver business."

"I'm sure that's part of it but I like to think I'm pretty intuitive and I think this business with your French teacher might be bothering Ryan. You should talk to him, make sure that it's not that."

"That's probably a good idea. Alright, you've been in there for awhile. Let's see what you've got." Anna walks out of the dressing room. "Very nice. You should wear that tonight for your date with Luke. His jaw is probably gonna hit the floor."

_**The Beach**_

"Dude, the surf totally sucks today," Luke says as he paddles back up to Ryan.

"I know. I think you just caught the only surfable wave we've seen all day. You want to go in?" Luke nods his head and the two teens ride a small wave into the shore. After stripping off their wetsuits, the two friends load their surfboards in Luke's truck and walk down to a nearby burger stand. "So," Ryan begins as he sits down at the picnic table, "I talked to Marissa today."

"Oh yeah? How'd that go," Luke asks around a mouthful of cheeseburger.

"She's dating Oliver now. And she thinks that we were the ones that bailed on her."

Luke looks up. "You guys kept trying to chill with her after we broke up?"

"Sorry man, but she's been my best friend since we were little kids. I didn't want you to think I was choosing her over you but I needed to know what was going on. Turns out that it was a waste of time because none of our calls ever went through."

"So what was goin' on then? Was she ignoring you guys?"

Ryan shrugs. "Who knows? When I was over there today, she was acting all stuck up, like we were the ones that wronged her and not the other way around."

"I'm so over her. I mean, I care about her because she's still my friend, even if she isn't my **girl**friend, but I'm done with her drama." Luke takes the last bite of his burger and throws his and Ryan's trash away. The two boys begin to walk back to Luke's truck.

"So are you ready for your date with Anna tonight?"

Luke colors slightly. "It's not _really_ a date, Cohen."

"Uh huh. It's dinner and a movie. Sounds like a date to me."

"Dick," Luke says jokingly, but Ryan can tell that he's looking forward to the evening. "You ready to roll back to your place, play a little Playstation?"

"Sure," Ryan says as he hops into the lifted truck. "Seth and Summer should still be there. Seth said they'd be swimming all day."

Luke bellows out a laugh. "Yeah, right. With both your folks out of the house today? They're probably going at it."

_**Jimmy's Apartment**_

"I don't know if I can commit to the Lighthouse, Sandy," Jimmy says as he rubs his face. "It's just too much money and I don't have the capital right now."

"Jimmy, I need this. I've got to get away from the private sector. Those evil bastards are draining me dry! This is the perfect opportunity and I want you with me, doing this. And I've already got the down payment taken care of."

"I don't know. I mean, this is all really fast. Restaurants fail."

"This one won't, Jimmy."

"I just don't know. I need more time to figure things out." At that moment, there is a knock on the door to the apartment. Jimmy walks over to open it, revealing Veronica Townsend. "Hey, V," Jimmy says, greeting his girlfriend with a kiss on the cheek.

"James. Sandy," she says, turning to address the other man. She notices the strained looks on the faces of the two men. "What's wrong?"

"Sandy has been trying to convince me to go in with him on a proposal that he has. We're thinking about buying the Lighthouse."

"The Lighthouse? You mean that old restaurant that has been around for forever?"

Sandy raises his enormous eyebrows. "That's the one. What about it?"

"I loved that place! That's such a good idea. What's the problem," she asks her boyfriend.

"I'm just not sure that I can take this on right now. It seems like a big investment and I-I just don't want it to fail."

Veronica walks up to Jimmy, who is standing facing out the window, turns him around and kisses him. "You're a smart man, James. Between you and Sandy, I know that you will be able to do this. I might even be willing to invest a little into it, if you boys would like. I'd be a silent partner, of course," she says, winking at Jimmy.

"Really," Jimmy asks, a curious look on his face. "You'd do that?"

"Of course, James. I know you've had trouble in the past, but you've got a good head on your shoulders. If Sandy is investing in it, I know it's good and there's nobody I'd rather have looking after my money than you." She kisses him again. "I know you can do it."

Sandy smiles a little and turns to his prospective business partner. "So does that make you a little more confident, Jimbo?"

Jimmy smiles. "Let's do it, Sandy."

_**The Movie Theater**_

"How do you feel about a monster bucket of popcorn," Luke asks as he and Anna walk up to the movie counter.

"It sounds great as long as you don't mind me flossing after the movie is over. I hate the feeling of popcorn kernels stuck in my teeth."

Luke smiles and pulls a small container out of his pocket. He opens it up and dumps the contents into his hand: toothpicks. "I used to wear braces when I was a kid. They told me I couldn't eat popcorn because it would get stuck in my braces so I started carrying toothpicks."

"Awww, that is so cute," Anna gushes. "So you **were** a little geeky then, huh?" She laughs and Luke joins her.

"A little bit." Luke pays for their sodas and popcorn and they grab a seat in the theater. "Where do you want to sit?"

"Oh I always sit up towards the front. That way-"

"-people talking during the movie don't bother you," Luke finishes along with her. "Holy crap, I thought I was the only one that liked sitting in the front." He takes her hand and they sit down just in time for the previews.

_**Later, Anna's House**_

"So I had an awesome time tonight," Luke says as he and Anna reach her front door.

"Me too, Luke. I'm normally not a big horror movie fan, but I felt a little braver with you there." She smiles as Luke turns a unique shade of red. "I'd invite you in but it's getting late and my folks will be waiting for me."

Luke shrugs his shoulders. "It's cool. We'll leave meeting the parents for another time." He shuffles his feet a little. "Sooo...."

"So... goodnight," Anna asks, leaving it as more of a question than a statement. She fumbles in her purse for her keys for a second until she feels a strong hand lifting her chin up. She looks up into Luke's blue eyes just as he leans down to take her lips with his own. The kiss doesn't last too long and Anna's concerns earlier in the day are put to rest as Luke doesn't try to force his tongue into her mouth. All too soon he pulls away, leaving Anna a bit flushed.

"Night, Anna." Luke smiles at her as he watches her unlock her door. After shakily trying to get the key in the lock for a few moments, she finally succeeds and opens the door. She waves goodnight and shuts the door behind her. As the door closes, his small smile gradually expands until it covers his whole face and he reflects on one of the best nights he has had in awhile.

Inside, Anna locks the door behind her and leans back against it. She softly touches her lips as if imagining Luke's still there, a smile on her face as well.

_**Next Day, Cohen Residence**_

"Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey, buddy."

Ryan opens his eyes and sees Seth standing over his bed, smiling. "That's the creepiest thing I've ever woken up to in my life."

"I brought bagels and coffee," Seth says, holding up a schmeared bagel and a steaming cup of coffee.

Ryan looks over at his bedside clock. 8:03. "Why are you waking me up at eight in the morning on a Sunday, Seth?"

"I'm bored. Let's do something."

"What is there to do this early on a Sunday? Go back to bed." Ryan rolls over in his bed and tries to resume sleep but Seth will have none of it.

"Ryyyaaaan! RyanRyanRyanRyanRyanRyanRyan!" He dodges a thrown pillow. "I figured you'd have better aim than that after playing water polo. Come on, get up. Let's go to the beach or something."

Ryan groans but sits up in bed. "Fine. But I need a few minutes to wake up." He takes a bite of the bagel and chases it with a sip of coffee.

"I'll be downstairs calling Summer. You want me to have her invite the other girls?"

Ryan thinks for a moment. He really **did** want to talk to Taylor, but he'd prefer that it was in a more private setting. Oh well, they could probably get away from the group for awhile. "Sure. Call Luke too. See if he wants to invite Anna."

"You got it big guy."

_**The Beach**_

"What time did the girls say they were gonna be here Corona," Luke asks Seth.

Seth checks his phone. "Fifteen minutes ago. You know how girls are, though. They gotta look their best everywhere they go. Speaking of, how did your date go? Was Anna looking pretty hot? You get any tongue action?"

Luke glares at a chuckling Ryan and turns back to Seth. "No, I didn't get any 'tongue action,' tool. We got close during the movie and I got a pretty hot goodnight kiss, but that was about it. We'll see what happens from here."

"The girls are here," Ryan announces. The other two boys turn to see Taylor, Summer and Anna walking their direction, beach bags in hand. "Hey, babe," he says as Taylor unfolds her blanket and sits down next to him.

"Hey." She gives him a kiss. "Sorry we're late but Henri-Michel called. He wanted to make sure I had some papers ready for school tomorrow."

Ryan begins to frown. "Why did your teacher call you on a Sunday? Why does he even have your number?"

Taylor looks confused. "Because I'm his teacher's aide, Ryan. I thought I told you about this on Friday?"

"No, you didn't."

Anna, who has just set down her beach gear, looks from Ryan to Taylor. "Come on, Luke. Let's go play in the water for awhile." Luke gets the picture and follows Anna into the surf. Summer picks up on the tension as well.

"Let's go too, Seth. I'll let you chase me around the beach." She tries to pull Seth up and toward the water but he resists.

"No thanks, my dearest. The salty water will ruin my Jewfro. Not to mention that my pale skin will burn to a crisp if I expose it to this strong California sun," he says, pointing to his shirt covered torso.

"You won't have any hair left if you don't follow me down to the water right now, Powder. Let's go!" Seth squawks about the threat of Summer forcibly removing his hair but gives in and follows her down to the water, leaving Taylor and Ryan alone on the sand.

"So what is going on with you and this Henri-Michel guy? You know that I don't like him but he keeps flirting with you in class and you're not doing anything about it. Now you're his aide?"

"He's not flirting with me, Ryan. He's just really nice. And you know how I am with French. This chance to be his aide is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the country from someone that was born and raised there. I'm lucky he asked me and not one of the other girls in the class."

"That's just the thing, Taylor. You don't think that he's being overly nice to you, like he wants something from you? He told me that he was attracted to you. Doesn't that bother you?" Ryan takes his girlfriend's chin in his hands and turns her face toward him. "Just do this for me, please? I don't like this guy."

Taylor pulls her head from her boyfriend's hands. "You know, Ryan, I wasn't going to say anything but Henri-Michel told me this might happen. He said that you'd feel jealous and that you'd try and keep me from being involved in my pursuit of understanding French culture."

That son of a bitch, Ryan thinks to himself. "You're kidding me. You think I'm jealous? Fine." He gets up and throws his shirt on.

"Where are you going? We just got here."

"Home. I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you defend that pedophile. See you tomorrow. Tell Seth to get a ride home from Luke." Ryan throws his shirt back on and walks back over to his Jeep. He quickly jumps into the driver's seat and tears out of the parking lot.

_**Later that night, Cohen Residence**_

Kirsten Cohen softly knocks on the door of her son's room, hoping that he would answer. Seth had told her earlier about what had happened at the beach that day and was worried about his "brother from another mother," as he liked to put it. Truth to tell, Kirsten herself was a little worried about her son. Ryan was known for his cool head and even temper. For him to come as close to an outburst as he did, something must really be bothering him. "Sweetie?"

A quiet moment. "Yeah?"

"Can I come in?"

Another pregnant silence. "Sure."

She slowly opens the door and turns the corner into her son's room to see him curled up in chair, a book in his lap. She suppresses a smile at the sight of her son relaxing with a book and not zoning out in front of the television like so many other teens his age. He always did have a good head on his shoulders, which is what made this latest situation so perplexing.

"What's up, mom," Ryan asks, putting the book down.

Kirsten sits down in a chair across from Ryan, her hands in her lap. "Well, I just wanted to see how things were going with you. We haven't talked in awhile and I just wanted to, well... check... in. I guess," she finishes, a little unsure. When had talking to her son become so difficult?

"I'm good, I guess." Her son looks a trifle confused. "Is everything okay?"

"No, I'm fine. Your father and I are fine. I was wondering about you." At Ryan's questioning look, "Seth told us about your problems with Taylor." Ryan stiffens, something Kirsten didn't miss.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Well that was an encouraging response. "That's fine, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just want you to know that your father and I are here whenever you need to talk. I hope you know that you can talk to either one of us about anything." She stands and kisses her son's forehead, ruffles his sandy hair, and turns to leave.

"She's going to break up with me."

Her hand releases the doorknob and she turns around to face her son. "Tell me what happened."

"Taylor is getting hit on by this... **older** guy at school." Kirsten senses that Ryan isn't telling the full truth here, but she decides not to pursue it. "She thinks he just wants to be friends to her but it's more than that."

Kirsten worries her lip a bit.

"I've tried telling her that I don't want her being friends with this guy, that it bothers me, but she just ignores it." Ryan shakes his head. "I just don't understand it."

She hesitates a moment, making sure that she had her words and comments well thought out. What she said could easily make or break her son's relationship with his girlfriend. "Ryan, you know that Taylor is a smart girl. She's easily able to take care of herself. If she seems to think this guy isn't after her, then you have to trust her to make the right decision." She walks back over to her son and hugs him as he stood. "You two are going to be just fine."

"That's what everyone said about Luke and Marissa and look at them," her son groans. She had to give him that. "I've just been thinking a lot lately. I care about Taylor a lot and I don't want to lose her. Is this just fate telling me that we're not supposed to be together?"

Kirsten tries her hardest not to let her smile show. She doesn't want her son to think she was smiling for the wrong reasons. "Ryan, everyone that has ever been in a relationship has problems like these. Even your father and I have our issues every now and then. The point I'm trying to make is that you just have to decide if what keeps you together is stronger than what is pushing you apart." She stands again, Ryan standing with her. "I love you, sweetie, and I want nothing but the best for you, whether it be with Taylor or someone else. I hope you know that." She kisses him on the cheek and pulls her face back again. "But I do love Taylor so I hope you two work things out," she says with a smile. She notices Ryan's slight smirk show on his face as she walks out of the room.

_**Next Day, Harbor**_

Ryan hops out of his Jeep, Seth mirroring his actions from the passenger side of the vehicle.

"So, I'm sorry about yesterday," Seth begins, but Ryan interrupts him.

"Don't worry about it man. I'm glad you told Kirsten. She made me realize that I need to trust Taylor to make the right decision. If she thinks that she can handle Henri-Michel, then I trust her to fend him off. I'm not happy about it but I can deal." He slings his messenger bag over his shoulder.

Seth looks skeptical. "Really, dude? Even after he basically challenged you for Taylor's affection?"

Ryan grits his teeth almost imperceptibly. "Yes, Seth. Even after that."

"Okay, man," Seth says, shrugging. He points to an approaching Summer and Taylor. "You want some alone time with her?" Ryan nods. "No problem, man. Hello, my dearest," he exclaims at Summer's approach. "Would you care to escort me to my class? Save me from the neanderthal bullies that roam these here halls?"

Neither of the boys miss the questioning glance that Summer sends Taylor's way and the accompanying slight nod that follows. "Sure. Lord knows most of the athletic department is more afraid of me than you."

As the two brunettes walk off, Ryan and Taylor glance at each other, neither knowing where to start.

"I'm sorry," Ryan begins. "I should have trusted you more."

"You're right, you should have." Taylor glares at her boyfriend slightly. "Even if Henri-Michel is flirting with me, I'm a big girl. I can tell him to get lost." She finally breaks into a small smile. "But I think it's cute that you're worried about me." Ryan smiles back as she gives him a slight kiss. "It means you care."

"So does this mean we're done arguing?" Ryan kisses her back.

"Mmmm, yep," she purrs.

"Does this mean we get to have make up sex?"

Taylor gives a sharp hiss of breath. "Ryan Cohen! You dirty boy!" She smiles mischievously. "Maybe. Want to meet in the library for lunch?"

"Better believe it." He gives her one last kiss. "See you in a few," he says, walking off into the quad.

Taylor followes his progress for a moment before turning and almost running into another, taller, individual. One with a very... **pungent** aroma. "Oh! Pardonnez-moi, Monsieur de Momourant," she says, apologizing to the older Frenchman.

"Il est tout à fait bien, mon beau Français s'est levé. It is such a beautiful day for an encounter such as this. How was your weekend of no school?"

"Oh, it was very nice. I just hung out with my friends."

"That does sound very 'nice' Mademoiselle Townsend. Now I must ask something of you. I have been having much trouble grading the essays that your fellow classmates turned in on Friday. The language they write with is très terrible and my poor eyes can take no more. I need your beautiful auburn eyes to read some of these assignments for myself during lunch so that I might have them graded on time."

Taylor fidgets a little, remembering her promise to meet her boyfriend in the library during that time. "I would love to Monsieur, but I promised Ryan-"

"Ah, Ryan Cohen, the boyfriend," he says, a slight hint of contempt in his voice. "Taylor, you have certain responsibilities as my aide, ones that have to be fulfilled. If they cannot," he trails off, finishing by shrugging his shoulders. "There are many girls in the class that would love to fulfill your duties for you."

Taylor thinks quickly. Ryan would surely understand. This was something for class, right? Didn't he just get through saying that he trusted her? "I'll see you at lunch then, Monsieur."

_**Lunchtime, Monsieur de Momourant's room**_

"Thank you for the help, Mademoiselle Townsend," the man says as Taylor drops the pile of manuscripts on his desk. "I could not have stomached much more of that terrible dribble your classmates called writing."

"I know. Maybe I should start offering my services as a tutor to some of the class," Taylor wonders aloud. She looks up at the clock. "Wow, I finished just in time. Lunch is almost over. See you later, Henri-Michel!"

"Au revoir, my dear."

Taylor walks out of the classroom and turns to see her boyfriend leaning against the lockers. "So this is where you've been all lunch while I was waiting for you in the library?"

"Henri-Michel asked me to help him grade some papers for him over lunch. We started talking about his chateau in France and we just kind of lost track of time. I'm sorry I missed lunch," she says as she tries to hug Ryan, only to have him back up.

"I can't keep doing this, Taylor. Am I going to keep having to worry about plans with you being canceled because of your French teacher calling you up and needing something? What's going on with you two?"

Taylor glares at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"You're spending too much time with him, Taylor. I can't handle this anymore. I know I said I'd try and be okay with this but I can't do it anymore. It's either me or him."

Taylor's jaw drops. "That's not fair, Ryan! You can't make me choose between you and my chance to learn more about what I love."

"You know I'm not comfortable with you around him all the time. He's in love with you!"

"That's not true. Don't do this, please," she asks, tears in her eyes.

"Bye, Taylor."

* * *

A/N 2: Man, I've missed this story. I've been wanting to get back into writing this thing for awhile, but it just seemed like I couldn't get it down on paper. Hopefully I've gotten through what I need to to start writing again. I've missed this : D Anyway, random fact of the chapter. Hmmmm. Unpaid sabbaticals, or career breaks, are becoming quite popular in the United Kingdom. Over 20% of business in the UK offer this one year break, with another 10% considering introducing one. Hopefully my sabbatical is through lol. Oh and the translation for Henri-Michel's greeting to Taylor is "It is quite alright, my beautiful French rose." At least, it is according to Babelfish. Good to be back! I've missed you all! Please, please, please read and review!

AZ


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